“The idea of an aesthetically pleasing gluteal region has been with us since early recorded history. The ancient Greeks had nomenclature to describe an aesthetically pleasant buttock area: callipygian is derived from calli, meaning beautiful, and pyge, meaning buttocks.”
But, when it comes to surgical buttock re-contouring, not everyone’s idea of callipygia is the same. With this in mind, Dr. Robert F Centeno MD, FACS, MBA has developed a Gluteal Aesthetic Unit Classification, for the first time mapping and defining no less than eight Gluteal Aesthetic Units (pictured) which are, he says, useful for evaluating the gluteal region before undertaking surgical intervention for re-sculpting.
“To achieve a successful outcome, it is imperative to understand the patient’s aesthetic ideal. Toward this end, this simplified ‘Gluteal Aesthetic Unit Classification’ tool can be very useful. Patient-supplied magazine clippings and digital image manipulation are useful in the informed consent process and further support the utility of this classification tool. Finally, to be successful in this arena, it is critical for the surgeon to set aside personal preferences and biases with respect to gluteal aesthetics. What you think looks good may be irrelevant if the patient disagrees.”
See: Gluteal Aesthetic Unit Classification: A Tool to Improve Outcomes in Body Contouring Aesthetic Surgery Journal 2006;26:200-208