Buttock augmentation procedures have been soaring in popularity in recent years, and now new research shows that when it comes to junk in the trunk, most patients prefer implants to fat.

According to the most recent statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there were 1,149 buttock implant procedures performed in 2011, up 43 percent from 2010. There were 4,546 buttock lifts performed in 2011, up 38 percent from 2010 and a whopping 235 percent from 2000!

Researchers out of the Chugay Cosmetic Surgery Institute in Long Beach, Calif. reviewed the results of 129 butt augmentation procedures that took place between 2008 and 2011. Of these, 33 were done via fat grafting and 96 with silicone implants. The findings were published in the American Journal of Cosmetic Surgery.

Patients who received implants were more satisfied than those who opted for fat grafting buttock augmentation. That said, the rate of seromas was higher in the implant group, but patients who received fat transfers were more likely to develop lumps or dents. Dehiscence and capsular contracture occurred only in the implant group, the study showed

“Although fat grafting for buttock augmentation is rising in popularity among surgeons, its results are not as consistent as those seen with buttock implant augmentation,” the researchers conclude. “This consistency of results is offset by the risk of capsular contracture and dehiscence, which are seen in implant surgery.”