What is a Brazilian Butt Lift?

A Brazilian butt lift, or as it's more commonly referred, a BBL, is a procedure aimed at enhancing the shape of the buttocks as well as in some cases augmenting the hip area as well. Fat is removed via liposuction from areas of the body where it's unwanted such as from the abdomen and love handles, purified and injected into the buttocks area to either create more projection, augment the shape of the buttocks and also to fill in any divots that may be present in the butt and/or hip area.

This procedure has a very high satisfaction rate, this is likely due to the fact that those who elect to have this surgery get a two fold result, usually with a noticeable improvement to multiple areas of the body as well as the buttocks area. They get the benefit of fat removal from problematic areas, often times the waist and stomach as well as the enhanced shape of their buttocks and hips. A skilled surgeon will take a wholistic approach to the procedure, taking into consideration the patients whole body proportions. They will use the fat removal process as a way to compliment the shape of the new buttocks. For example, this can be done by carving fat from the lower back and waist and placing the fat into the hips and buttocks to provide a more hour glass or feminine figure.

In thinner patients, with less fat to remove, a surgeon with great precision is required to remove fat from multiple other areas and they will need to have to have a good understanding of where to place the fat for maximum impact. This particular technique is known as a skinny BBL. A BBL can also be done with buttocks implants and fat can be injected into certain areas around the implant to provide more natural contours.

What is the cost of a Brazilian Butt Lift?

The cost of a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) varies significantly based on location and surgeon selection, but generally ranges from $4,000USD to $18,000USD and is some cases more than this. In the USA, you can expect to pay between $5,000USD and $10,000USD, while Turkey and Mexico offer more affordable options for this procedure, with prices potentially being under $4,000USD. Additional costs like anesthesia, facility fees, and post-operative care can also increase the overall expense of the procedure. The average cost of a BBL in Australia typically ranges from $10,500AUD to $15000AUD.

Factors Influencing the cost of a BBL:

Surgeon's Experience and Reputation: More experienced and well-regarded surgeons will often charge higher fees for their expertise, particularly if they're specialists in this procedure.

Procedure Complexity: More extensive BBL procedures with larger fat transfers or multiple areas where fat is harvested from will likely command higher prices. This is also true in cases where the procedure is combined with other surgeries at the same time.

Post-Operative Care: Follow-up appointments, compression garments, and any necessary medications required by your physician can contribute to the overall cost of the surgery.

Other factors to consider are the cost of the facility where the surgery is being performed which will vary greatly as well as the cost of the anesthetist. While cost is an important factor to consider, patients should not neglect the need to find an experienced surgeon who can take the utmost care before, during and after their BBL procedure.

How to prepare for a Brazilian Butt Lift

To prepare for a Brazilian butt lift (BBL) focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol, and following your surgeon's specific pre-operative instructions. This firstly begins with consulting a variety of different surgeons to find the one you're most comfortable with to perform the surgery. A good surgeon should focus on managing your expectations regarding results, and preparing you for a comfortable recovery with clear instructions. These should be centered around what necessary supplies you should be stocking up on such as compression garments and any medications as well as providing strict instructions regarding lymphatic drainage massages. It's also important for you to be at your goal weight at the time of surgery as weight fluctuations can in fact have an impact on your results. In some cases, your surgeon may require you to gain weight for the procedure so as it's easier for them to harvest the fat from the donor areas and then inject it to create the desired shape. If you gain a lot of weight to have the procedure then lose it quickly afterwards, your results will be noticeably diminished as many of the fat cells injected will shrink. This will cause a volume loss to the area and may appear as if you have lost the coveted results from having the surgery. This fat may however return should you gain the weight back again.

How is a Brazilian butt lift preformed

Before the procedure begins, your surgeon will discuss your goals and clarify the outcomes you can realistically achieve. While you are standing, your skin will be marked with a pen to highlight areas where fat will be removed and where the fat will be added to. Photographs documenting your "before" appearance will also be taken. In the pre-operative area of the clinic, an IV will be placed in your arm, through which general anesthesia will be administered. Some individuals who opted for local anesthesia and sedation report experiencing significant pain during the process so it's highly unadvised. Moreover, using local anesthesia for extended procedures such as a BBL increases the risk of lidocaine toxicity, which can be fatal.

In the operating room, your skin will be sanitized with an antiseptic solution to prepare for surgery. A tumescent fluid, consisting of saltwater, epinephrine, and lidocaine, will be injected into targeted areas for fat removal to minimize pain, bleeding, and bruising. Fat will then be removed using a cannula, a thin tube attached to a vacuum. Some surgeons might employ VASER liposuction or other energy-assisted methods for easier and more precise fat removal, leading to smoother contours and reduced damage to surrounding tissue. The extracted fat will undergo purification to isolate the healthiest cells.

Finally, your surgeon will inject the purified fat into the desired areas, usually just beneath the surface of your skin to enhance the projection of the buttocks, addressing any hip dips or other imperfections to achieve the desired contours. To prevent the risk of a fat embolism, the fat must be placed above the muscle and fascia, not within or below them. Some surgeons use ultrasound guidance to ensure precise fat placement, while others rely on their expertise without the use of such technology. The surgeon will continue adding layers of fat until the desired volume and shape are safely attained.

What are the risks and possible side effects of Brazilian butt lift surgery?

Brazilian butt lift surgery, while offering great potential for cosmetic enhancement and reshaping of the body, carries significant risks and side effects. It's crucial to be aware of these risks as well as to ensure you're in the hands of an experienced board certified and trusted surgeon capable of giving you a beautiful result and doing so as safely as possible.

Potential Risks and Side Effects of getting a BBL

Infection: Bacteria can enter the body through the surgical sites during surgery or through the initial stages of healing. This can lead to redness, swelling, pain, and sometimes fever. Your surgeon may prescribe antibiotics throughout your healing process to try and mitigate this.

Fat Embolism: This is a potentially life-threatening complication where fat enters the bloodstream and can block blood vessels, potentially causing severe respiratory distress or in owrst cases death. An experiences surgeon skilled in performing this procedure will know where to and where nott o inject the fat to avoid this from occuring. 

Scarring: Both liposuction and fat grafting procedures such as BBL both have the potential to cause visible scarring. Care must be taken at the sites where fat is being harvested from as well in the areas where the fat is being injected into to avoid this. Your surgeon may provide you with after care instructions to minimize the risk of scarring. 

Nerve Damage: Nerve irritation from liposuction and grafting can cause numbness, tingling, or heightened sensitivity. Some mild nerve disruption should resolve itself during the healing process. In rare cases, where nerves have been severely severed, patients can suffer from permanent nerve damage. This is extremely rare when the procedure is done by an experienced surgeon. 

Fat Necrosis: Transplanted fat cells may die due to not receiving an adequate supply of blood after being injected. This can result in firm, discolored nodules at the site of injection. Care must be taken by the surgeon to inject fat proportionately to the area. This risk can be reduced by the surgeon not trying to inject copious amounts of fat to the buttocks area in proportion to the amount of available blood supply.

Sensation Changes: Changes in skin sensation in both the donor fat site and the area where fat was injected. This includes numbness or tingling in the area and may persist for several months after surgery.

Contour Irregularities: Uneven fat distribution to the area or excessive fat resorption by the body can lead to lumps, dips, or asymmetric results. This can also happen in the area where fat is being harvested from if the surgeon isn't skilled enough to create a smooth, sculpting shape when performing liposuction. This is more regularly seen in thinner patients where uneven results are harder to hide.

Fluid Accumulation (Seroma): Fluid buildup in the treated area can occur, requiring drainage. Some fluid and swelling is normal during the healing phase. This can be mitigated by special lymphatic draining (only as prescribed by your surgeon.) However in some cases, excess fluid may require drainage and so it's important your surgeon is diligent with communication and monitoring to be able to pick up on these kind of side effects early.

Bleeding: Excessive bleeding is a possibility during and after surgery. It can have many causes which is why close monitoring by your physician is crucial.

Bruising and Swelling: Common side effects that can be managed with compression garments and other methods such as lymphatic draining massages.

Pain: Soreness and discomfort in the buttocks and donor areas are expected after surgery but should be monitored closely to ensure they're not being caused by complications such as as infection.

Blood Clots: This is a risk associated with any surgical procedure, including BBL. Your surgeon's skill and close monitoring of your healing process should be sufficient to mitigate this as much as possible.

Why does Brazilian butt lift procedure have a reputation of being so dangerous?

A Brazilian butt lift, when performed correctly, is not a highly risky procedure, though its reputation has been shaped by past tragedies. Several years ago, fatalities occurred when untrained surgeons injected fat into or beneath the gluteal muscle, leading to fatal blood clots. A flawed 2017 study estimated the risk of death to be alarmingly high, but since then, surgeons have identified risk factors, improved techniques, and enhanced the procedure's safety, with newer data presenting a much lower mortality rate of 1 in 14,952 when performed by board-certified surgeons under modern safety protocols.

A 2023 review in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal emphasized the procedure’s safety when fat is injected subcutaneously, warning, however, that unregulated facilities and medical tourism can increase the chances of complications. One study on South Florida’s high BBL fatality rate revealed that short surgeries in budget clinics, where fat was routinely injected into the gluteal muscles, were the primary culprits of fatalities. Patients should consult with their surgeon about potential risks and complications during preoperative discussions as well consult multiple surgeons prior to having this surgery.

While common complications, such as irregular contours or lumps, are usually fixable, the most serious risk is a fat embolism, which can occur if fat enters a vein and blocks critical blood vessels. This is preventable when surgeons inject fat above the muscle, avoiding veins. Accredited facilities or hospitals and selecting a skilled reputable surgeon are recommended precautions to take to further reduce risks.

How long does a Brazilian butt lift last?

Results from a Brazilian but lift are said to be semi permanent. More specifically, the results you see after the initial 4-6 month healing mark will be considered permanent. You can expect to lose approximately 30% of the fat injected within the first few months but the fat cells that survive after this initial period will likely last for a very long time. Furthermore, the areas that received liposuction will be permanently contoured that way with fat cells being reduced from that area. Keep in mind that weight fluctuation will affect your results. If you gain a lot of weight, the shape created by your surgeon may be less visible or, on the hand greatly exaggerated. If you lose a lot of weight, you may still retain your shape but it will be smaller and less pronounced. A surgeon's skill also plays a large part in the longevity of your surgery's result pertaining to the fat survival rate. At what depth the fat is injected and in what amounts plays a crucial role. Modern techniques lean towards nano injections of fat being delivered to ensure adequate access to bloody supply for their survival.

How long is recovery from a Brazilian butt lift?

Recovery from a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) typically takes about 6 weeks for most patients to return to normal activities, with full results visible after 3-6 months. The first two weeks are the most challenging, with significant pain and swelling, as well as the need to avoid sitting directly on the buttocks. Most patients can return to work within 7-10 days, but strenuous activities should be avoided for 6-8 weeks. 

Detailed Recovery Timeline:

Week 1-2: Intense pain and swelling in the buttocks area as well as the areas where fat was harvested from. Patients need to avoid sitting on their buttocks and must sleep on their stomach or side so as not to squash the fat cells while they connect to the blood supply. 

Week 3-6: Swelling slowly begins to subside during this period. Patients can usually start light activities like walking and may be able to return to work while still being careful to sit on their thighs and not their buttocks.

Week 6-8: Patience can resume normal sitting during this period and begin light exercise even in their lower bodies. 

3-6 Months: Final results from the surgery are visible during this phase as swelling continues to subside.

A well selected surgeon will provide comprehensive instructions regarding your recovery in advance of your procedure to prepare you as much as possible for every stem of your recovery. They'll give you clear instructions regarding sitting, sleeping and what you can buy in advance to help you through the healing process.