Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL)

As mentioned above, before the logistics and methodology of fat transfer were refined, the only way to increase the size and curve of your buttocks was through the implantation of firm silicone implants. These came in different shapes depending on where they were being placed and the goals of the patient. But these implants often shifted position and had other problems. At 22 Plastic Surgery, we never performed butt augmentation with implants due to the possible risks and complications.

A Brazilian butt lift, in contrast, simply takes a person’s fat and removes it from one area where they don’t want it, such as the flanks or the abdomen, purifies the fat, and then injects it into the person’s buttocks to add volume. This isn’t a foreign object being placed; it is simply the patient’s own fat. That makes rejection virtually impossible, and the results are natural.

If you wish your buttocks had more shape and volume, this could be a good procedure for you.

The goal is to enhance your natural curves. It can add volume and projection to a flat or small butt. A butt lift can add size, giving the patient a more prominent butt.

Really the only requirement for these procedures is that the patient has enough unwanted fat that can be harvested to use for the transfer.

How you seek to change your contour is up to you and we’ll work to make sure we deliver just the look you’re seeking.

These are two-part procedures that usually take between 2 and 4 hours with the patient under general anesthesia.

The first step is to harvest the fat to use for augmentation. During your consultation with Dr. Reuben, you’ll discuss where you’d like to remove some fat. Often the best areas, such as the flanks, can actually accentuate the results of your new shapelier bottom.

To remove the fat, we use tumescent liposuction. The target area is injected with a solution consisting of saline solution, epinephrine, and lidocaine.

The lidocaine anesthetizes the area while the epinephrine constricts the fat cells and the blood vessels, making the fat easier to remove and limiting blood loss and subsequent bruising. We use a closed system to remove the fat and keep it clear from possible contamination.

The harvested fat is then purified to separate the fat cells from other cells, blood, and other liquid.

The second stage of your butt lift involves re-injecting the fat into the buttocks. We do this through hundreds of tiny injections at varying depths.

This ensures an even, natural-looking augmentation. In a Brazilian lift, special attention is given to the upper buttocks because this presents a lifted, younger-looking profile.

This is the area of our backside that tends to flatten and descend as we age.

There isn’t a “set” amount of fat to be removed. During your consultation with Dr. Reuben, the two of you will discuss your goals. How much larger do you want your buttocks to be? Is the goal to simply add shape or to increase overall size?

Your goals will dictate how much fat is needed.

We typically harvest about three times the amount that will be re-injected. That ensures the highest quality fat cells with the best chances of permanently “taking.”

For a rough estimate, a 1000 ccs of fat is usually the minimum amount that needs to be harvested.

Recovery from a Brazilian butt lift at 22 Plastic Surgery does involve a change of your normal existence for a bit.

We’ll give you full recovery instructions, and it’s important that you follow them to achieve the highest level of successful fat transferring to its new home.

You’ll have to avoid sitting directly on your buttocks or lying on your back for two to three weeks after your procedure. This is very important because the fat cells need to acquire a blood supply to successfully “take.”

To do so, they need to not be moved about in the beginning.

In about two weeks you’ll be able to return to work; in a month you can resume normal activities.

These are permanent results.

The number of injected fat cells that successfully “take” can vary between 60 to 80%. But once they acquire a blood supply, these fat cells are there for the duration.

Patients sometimes have a second procedure to gain a higher level of successful fat transferred.

You may have seen news stories involving botched Brazilian butt lifts and even deaths. That’s an unfortunate result of having a procedure become very popular, which prompts many unskilled practitioners to begin offering the procedure. If your surgeon doesn’t know what they are doing, it can lead to serious complications.

Dr. Reuben is a board-certified plastic and cosmetic surgeon, ensuring the level of training, knowledge of anatomy, and extensive experience that you seek.

Still, there are risks with a Brazilian butt lift, so it’s critical that patients do their research when it comes to the level of training of the surgeon they choose to perform this procedure.

There are the same risks involved with this procedure as with any surgery: infection, reaction to anesthesia, excessive bleeding, fluid accumulation, and the like.

Specific to this procedure are these risks:

• Numbness or changes in skin sensation
• Fat necrosis
• Asymmetry between buttocks
• Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications
• Skin discoloration
• Prolonged swelling
• Enduring pain
• Need for revision procedure

A Brazilian butt lift already combines liposuction with fat transfer.

If you choose, you could have one of our surgeons perform a full liposuction procedure at the same time, instead of simply harvesting what they will need for transfer.

Because you won’t be able to sit or lie on your back for 2-3 weeks after this procedure, it’s not a good time to combine it with other surgeries that will require you to lay low.