Calf augmentation / enlargement Düsseldorf

Calf enlargement (the medical term is calf augmentation) is often considered by patients whose calves are excessively narrow (in extreme cases they may be described as ‘stork legs’) due to illness. The diagnosis can apply to only one side of the body. Calf augmentation for aesthetic reasons has also become more and more popular in the last few years.

Congenital causes of narrow calves (calf hypotrophy) are:

• Clubfoot
• Spastic Paralysis
• Spina bifida (developmental defect of the spinal cord)

Acquired causes of narrow calves:

• Polio = Poliomyelitis
• Osteomyelitis
• Can occur after injuries such as burns, extensive contusions or broken bones, and nerve injuries connected with muscle wasting.

Every now and then, members of the bodybuilding scene also express an interest in calf implants. It can simply become too frustrating if, after intensive training, the calves are not shaped like the rest of the body, resulting in an imbalance. This is why some athletes decide to face the problem using surgical calf augmentation.

Calf augmentation without an operation has been possible since 2007, using the heavily cross-linked hyaluronic acid. This method, however, lasts only approximately 1.5 years – patients who decide to use it must take this into account. For more information, take a look at the following article: Macrolane™.

You also have the option of augmenting and shaping your calves using your own body fat. Patients who decide on this method cannot be too thin, as this makes it impossible to find a donor region of the body. The resulting calf does not look sporty or muscular, as it has been filled with fat.

The Calf Implants used for calf augmentation have undergone advancements similar to those undergone by Breast Implants. Here, too, leak proof silicone implants with a sturdy, multilayered envelope are standard. In this area, however, smooth walled calf implants have become common. They are available in a thinner, cigar shaped ‘Women’s shape’ and a ‘Men’s shape’ which is broader on one side. The implants are available in differing sizes which allows us to find a good match for the calf augmentation. Calf implants made to fit can be manufactured for special indicators.

Calves that are too small can be very satisfactorily corrected using muscle building exercises. Any exercise which requires strength to keep the foot pointed trains the calves – for example, standing on your toes using weights, stair climbing, hiking, sprinting. Bodybuilders can use particularly intensive training combined with a protein rich diet to achieve extreme calf growth.

• The legs are wrapped in bandages post-operation, or the patient wears a compression surgical stocking
• Depending on the degree of immobilization, heparin may be administered as a thrombosis prophylaxis.
• Crutches provide safety and security for the first 2-3 days after the operation
• Physical reserve and elevation of the legs is recommended, particularly in the first two weeks after calf augmentation
• The patient should abstain from sport for approx. 6 weeks

Axmann and Schneider from Germany reported in 1995 on a case of successful calf augmentation which used a flap transplant from the rectus abdominis muscle (VRAM = vertical-rectus-abdominis-muscle). It was removed from the abdomen with a neurovascular bundle and micro-surgically sutured onto a vessel in the calf area.

Hui KC and colleagues from the USA reported on a similar calf augmentation case in 1999. The patient suffered severely from a deformity on his left calf. The calf hypotrophy had existed since childhood, caused by Poliomyelitis. The patient refused the use of calf implants. The results were depicted as excellent. However, this unusual and quite elaborate method remains uncommon.