If you are unhappy with the shape or size of your buttocks, a Brazilian butt lift surgery, also known as fat transfer to the buttocks, may help. This plastic surgery can shape and lift your buttocks through liposuction and fat transfer. The procedure is also known as fat grafting. During the surgery, the surgeon will remove extra fat from other parts of your body such as the stomach, thighs, or hips. The extracted fat will be purified and re-injected into the buttocks for maximum volume buttock augmentation.
Please continue reading to learn more about fat grafting to the buttocks, commonly known as a Brazilian Butt Lift or BBL. This is one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries right now. Both men and women can undergo this procedure but it is more commonly requested by women. Read on to find out how you can achieve the curvy figure you've always dreamed about.
What is a Brazilian butt lift?
A Brazilian butt lift surgery is an aesthetic plastic surgery that is performed to create more fullness and roundness in the buttocks. It is one of the methods of buttock enhancement. Other treatment options include butt implant surgery.
A Brazilian butt lift involves the transfer of fat from one part of the body, such as the abdomen, thighs, or hips, to the buttocks for butt augmentation. Therefore, it is also called gluteal fat grafting. Aesthetic plastic surgeons remove fatty tissue from the abdomen or other areas, purify and process it, and re-inject the extracted fat into the buttock area to enhance flat buttocks.
How much fat is needed for a Brazilian Butt Lift cosmetic surgery?
There is no perfect body weight for Brazilian butt lift surgery. The amount of fat needed for the procedure depends on many factors, such as your aesthetic goals, height, weight, and body type. With that said, you do need to have a certain amount of excess fat for successful gluteal fat grafting. But while some excess fat is desirable, being obese with a BMI of over 35 can increase the risk of surgical complications.
Your cosmetic surgeon will examine you at the time of your consultation for a Brazilian butt lift. They will determine if you have enough unwanted fat in the back, hips, thighs, or belly for the fat transfer procedure to be done safely and effectively with a good outcome.
Who is a good candidate for buttock augmentation plastic surgery?
You are a good candidate for Brazilian butt lift surgery if you have lost the shape and fullness of your buttocks due to age, pregnancy, or weight fluctuations. This plastic surgery can give you a more appealing figure with a natural-looking rounder and fuller butt. You should have enough fat deposits in other parts of the body for the fat grafting. It is also recommended that people wishing to have butt augmentation with fat transfer be nonsmokers and in good general health. You should be at a healthy weight and committed to leading a healthy lifestyle with diet and exercise. Note that a Brazilian butt lift is not a method of weight loss. It is a body contouring procedure that will reshape and enhance your buttocks.
What happens during the Brazilian butt-lift procedure
You can have the surgery performed as an outpatient procedure. A fat grafting buttocks procedure is done with local anesthesia when a small volume of fat is being injected. For large volume liposuction and fat grafting, general anesthesia may be required.
To perform a Brazilian buttock lift, the board certified cosmetic surgeon will first remove fat from other parts of the body using liposuction. These are usually areas with excess body fat such as the belly, hips, and thighs. The fat is then purified and injected into strategic locations in the buttocks to give them a more rounded, fuller appearance. This is accomplished with around 3-5 incisions in the buttocks.
Once they are finished with the fat transfers, the surgeon will close the incisions in the donor sites and the fat transfer sites in the buttocks with stitches. They will then apply sterile bandages and a compression garment to reduce any residual swelling and bruising.
How long does it take to recover from a Brazilian Butt Lift?
Recovery from buttock fat grafting can take several weeks. It is not unusual for a patient to have some pain, tenderness, swelling, and bruising in the days to weeks after the surgery. The discomfort can usually be managed with pain medication.
You will also need to take special precautions after a Brazilian butt lift. You will not be able to sit on your butt for a couple of weeks. Your surgeon will advise you to sleep on your side or face down while your buttocks heal.
How long does fat transfer to buttocks last?
You will notice an immediate improvement in the contour of your buttocks. However, it can take up to 6 months to see the full results of the Brazilian butt lift procedure. Fat grafting results are long-lasting but they may not be permanent results. With age, many patients have flattening or sagging of the buttocks even after the surgery.
Keep in mind that you may need more than one injection or more than one procedure of fat grafting to achieve the desired outcome. Some of the fat injected gets reabsorbed by the body. However, once you obtain the final result, it will last for years. You can help to maintain your new body shape by making sure you stay at a healthy weight.
What are the side effects of fat transfer to buttocks?
Like all surgeries, a Brazilian butt lift carries some risks. These risks are generally lower than other buttock augmentation surgeries, such as silicone buttock implants. Some of the risks of fat transfer to the buttocks include infection, bleeding, scarring, persistent pain, skin loss, and lumps in the skin. Fat embolism is a serious and potentially fatal complication of fat grafting in the butt. This occurs when a piece of the transferred fat enters the blood circulation and makes its way to the heart or lungs, which can lead to death. However, some of the risks associated with butt implants, for example, capsular contracture, are not present with a fat transfer cosmetic surgery.
Brazilian Butt-Lift Cost: How much is fat transfer to the buttocks?
Based on estimates by the American Society of Plastic Surgery, the average cost of a Brazilian butt lift is $4,500. Other methods of butt augmentation, for example, buttock implants, are similar in cost. Keep in mind that these prices can vary greatly depending on your geographical location and the experience of your cosmetic surgeon. Health insurance does not cover fat grafting cosmetic surgery because it is not a medically necessary procedure.
Fat Transfer to Buttocks: Know Before You Decide
In 2018, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons issued an urgent warning to surgeons performing fat grafting in the butt. This was in response to an alarming number of deaths reported from the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) procedure. The death rate from this cosmetic procedure has been estimated to be 1:3000 which is unusually high and higher than any other cosmetic surgery. On autopsy, the cause of death has been uniformly found to be fat embolism (a piece of fat entered the gluteal veins).
Fat embolism occurs when fat enters the gluteal muscle during the BBL procedure and from there enters the blood circulation. This complication does not occur when the fat is placed in the subcutaneous tissue (under the skin) of the buttocks. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons therefore recommends that the injected fat should never be placed in the muscle and should only be placed subcutaneously during gluteal fat grafting. The only way to ensure that your surgeon follows the correct procedure of transferring fat is by choosing a board certified plastic surgeon or highly experienced surgeon through the MeTime app.
Brazilian butt lift vs Sculptra filler lift vs silicone butt implants
Like all cosmetic surgeries, there are pros and cons to a Brazilian butt lift. Many patients prefer this method of butt augmentation over buttock implants or Sculptra filler because it provides the most natural-looking results. BBL adds volume and can also address sagging that sometimes occurs with age. Here's a quick overview of the other methods of buttock enhancement.
Sculptra Butt Lift
This is a type of dermal filler that can add volume to the buttocks. It is used mainly to fill wrinkles in the face. Sculptra in the buttocks is an off-label use of this product. The results last 2-5 years. Cost can be a limiting factor since a large amount of the product is typically needed to reshape the buttocks.
Silicone Implants
This butt enhancement procedure involves placing implants in the buttocks. It is a more invasive surgery than a Brazilian butt lift. Also, the risks are higher and recovery is longer after silicone buttock implants compared to BBL.
Note that silicone or hydrogel injections are not approved treatments for butt enhancement. Such injections often deliver uneven results and can cause severe complications, including death.
How to find a provider for Brazilian Butt Lift?
Given the potential risks associated with a Brazilian Butt Lift fat grafting procedure, it is especially important to steer clear of low-priced procedures from surgeons with questionable credentials. The MeTime app makes it easy to find board certified plastic surgeons in your area who offer liposuction and fat transfer procedures for the buttocks. You can chat with experts, share photos, do a video consultation, and get quotes. Download the MeTime app today and find out what a Brazilian butt lift involves and whether it is the right choice for you.
