Calf Correction

The enlargement of the calf is an attractive procedure not only for men to change the shape of the calf and thus the entire leg. Increasing volume through silicone implants can be a sensible measure in women with underdeveloped and very thin calf musculature too. Calf enlargement can also reliably correct shape defects and changes in shape in the sense of bow legs or knock-knees.

Depending on the target or lack of volume, silicone implants can be placed either inside or outside the calf. Usually a small incision of about 3 cm is sufficient for calf augmentation, in to prepare the pocket under the skin and the so-called lower leg fascia. The cut is made in the hollow of the knee. The size of the implants is discussed and planned beforehand with the patients by simulation in the mirror. The preparation of the pocket in which the calf implants are placed is made blunt with a specially designed instrument (calf dissector). At the end of the operation a tube (Redon-Drainage) is inserted to drain off the wound secretion, which is removed in the following days.

After calf augmentation, patients are required to lie down for the first three days. Going to the toilet and other short distances are allowed and also desired in order to avoid thrombosis (blood clot) in the legs. From the 4th day onwards, patients are allowed to put full weight on the body again and should be cautious about very long distances, sports or overexertion, at least for the first 6 weeks. In principle, calf augmentation is not an intervention that severely restricts movement. Short-term immobilization is a purely precautionary measure to accelerate wound healing and make the scar inconspicuous. The process of adapting to the calf implants takes place very quickly in the first three months, so the resulting tension and foreign body sensation after calf augmentation isn’t a permanent condition. Altogether, different volumes in the form of calf implants can be used for calf augmentation to build up small contour defects up to large masses for strength athletes and body builders.

The calf implants consist of a silicone shell and are filled with highly polymerized silicone gels. A typical and long-term consequence of silicone implants is capsular fibrosis. This causes a foreign body reaction around the silicone implant, which results in the formation of a capsule. In contrast to silicone implants on the breast, such a development rarely represents a necessity for changing the implant. This is because the calf has a much harder consistency than the soft breast gland. On the other hand, the implants are often smaller and therefore lead to less contact and reaction with the surrounding tissue. If, however, long-term problems should arise with a silicone implant for calf augmentation, the implant can be replaced at any time in a short procedure.