Backside enhancement moves to forefront

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (KGO) -- For decades, many cosmetic procedures marketed to women focused on thinning the waist, or augmenting the chest, but now the backside has moved to the forefront.

From red carpet runways, to pop music, to the photos that jam the Internet, some of America's biggest stars are getting attention for their big backsides. A Google search for "butt lift" will net hundreds of ads for cosmetic augmentation procedures.

"I have a lot of women coming in talking about Kim Kardashian's body, or Beyonce's body or J.Lo's body," says Mountain View plastic surgeon Kamakshi Zeidler, M.D.

Zeidler says there are serious considerations before selecting a procedure, including a track record of problems with older techniques, which relied primarily on implants.

"Originally when we were first augmenting, breast implants were used and had funny shape," she said.

She says models now on the market have better shape, but can still be prone to side effects. She believes it's important for prospective patients to inquire about the risks.

"For a lot of women, I don't recommend it," she said. "They have to be placed a little bit in the muscles to decrease complications. There's a very high infection rate."

One patient who spoke with ABC7 News, who asked to remain anonymous, said works out her legs and backside at least five days a week, but isn't always satisfied with the results.

"Lifting has built muscle in the back, but not in comparison with my legs, so I'd like a little bit of a curve emphasis on my butt," she says.

Zeidler says an increasingly popular option involves a technique known as fat transfer, sometimes popularly known as a Brazilian butt lift. First surgeons use liposuction to remove fat from another area, typically the stomach or love handles. The fat is then processed into a pure concentrate of living fat cells.

"It's put back into the buttock in layers creating shape. And these fat cells actually engraft and live," Zeidler said.

She says the combination of thinning the middle while augmenting the rear can often enhance the appearance of a bigger backside, and that potential side effects with fat grafting are far lower than alternate procedures.

Costs can vary dramatically, but Zeidler says a good guide is the general cost of liposuction which begins in the $3,000 to $5,000 range.

Written and produced by Tim Didion