G. Lemperle et K. Exner, THE RESECTION OF GASTROCNEMIUS-MUSCLES IN AESTHETICALLY DISTURBING CALF HYPERTROPHY, Plastic and reconstructive surgery, 102(6), 1998, pp. 2230-2236
In some patients, oversized calves lead to mental distress and avoidan
ce of certain social activities. They hide their legs in pants and see
k medical advice. If the thickness of the subcutaneous fat is normal a
nd cannot be diminished by liposuction, the oversized cal ies are caus
ed by pure muscle hypertrophy. Using the gastrocnemius for muscle flap
s in covering knee defects: does not impair the function of thr patien
t's leg; therefore, resection of the total gastrocnemius muscle for ae
sthetic calf reduction was performed in 15 consecutive patients withou
t any lasting impairment with stability or sports activities. The pati
ent was placed in a prone position, and thr muscles were bluntly freed
and pulled through two incisions of 5-cm length in the hollow of the
knee and above the Achilles tendon. The resected muscles weighed betwe
en 110 and 810 g each. In two patients, the sural nerve was stretched
or cut during the operation. The consequent numbness of the lateral an
kle and sole persisted for 9 and 13 months, respectively. All 15 patie
nts were satisfied with the results; none complained of lack of stabil
ity or insecurity in walking; and all became active in sports or chang
ed their dress habits.