Procedures
Brazilian Butt Lift
What to Expect
- Anesthesia: General
- Length of surgery: 2 – 4 hours
- Outpatient/inpatient: Outpatient
- Adjunct procedures: Liposuction, Tummy Tuck, Thigh Lift
- Recovery: 2 weeks off work, sitting restrictions up to 8 weeks
- Requirements: Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 or above
The beauty of the buttocks is in the eye of the beholder. Preferences vary widely across cultures and generations, with today’s trends favoring full, high cheeks and curvy hips offset by a narrow waist. Achieving this look is often impossible with diet and exercise, leading many to consider alternative options.
Historically, buttock augmentation has been achieved with implants. Like breast implants, buttock implants are artificial devices that are surgically placed in the buttocks to enhance their fullness, firmness and curvature. Implant technology is becoming increasingly safer and more complex, but they cannot fully replicate the appearance and feel of natural body fat and tissue. This is where the Brazilian Butt Lift comes in.
In a Brazilian Butt Lift, or BBL, fat is harvested from your body and then transferred into your buttock area, creating completely organic volume and a soft, natural feel. To achieve optimal results, enough fat must be available in other areas of the body to harvest and transfer. Please confirm that you have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 25 before scheduling a consultation to discuss Brazilian Butt Lift. Then, give our office a call at 952-925-1765 or fill out our online contact form. Our board-certified surgeons, Drs. Leigh, Philbin, Stewart and Wilke, are waiting to help you get started.
Personalizing Your Brazilian Butt Lift Procedure
The premise of a Brazilian Butt Lift is simple: harvest fat from elsewhere in the body and redistribute it into the butt. Despite its name, the BBL is not a traditional lifting procedure, which deals with loose, sagging skin. Your BBL can be customized and enhanced in several ways.
First, consider where the fat will come from. Many of us have a problem area where fat doesn’t seem to budge, no matter what we do try to eliminate it. Fat for the transfer can come from almost anywhere, including your abdomen, hips, flanks, back and/or thighs. A BBL allows you to treat multiple concerns at once, so you and your surgeon can design a surgical plan that will offer you the most “bang for your buck.”
You can also personalize your BBL by combining it with a complementary procedure, such as:
Additional Liposuction
Often, patients use their Brazilian Butt Lift as an opportunity to enhance their overall body contours. Liposuction can be performed on any area of your body where fat reduction is desired, including the upper arms, chin, love handles and bra strap area. Your surgeon can continue to use liposuction after enough fat has been harvested for the BBL to improve your proportions elsewhere.
Tummy Tuck
A shapely derriere stands out even more when paired with a flat stomach and a trim waist. Abdominoplasty (commonly known as a tummy tuck) removes unwanted skin and fat from the abdomen and, if necessary, repairs separated abdominal muscles. Ridding yourself of this extra baggage while you enhance your backside can dramatically improve your overall results.
Thigh Lift
Even a perfectly shaped butt can look lackluster alongside unbalanced thighs. Excess skin and fat in this area can be addressed with thigh lift surgery. Alternatively, if you are concerned with sagging skin around your buttocks and hips, you may be a better candidate for butt lift.
Deciding If a Brazilian Butt Lift in Edina Is Right for You
If you find yourself with a butt that doesn’t live up to your great expectations, a Brazilian Butt Lift might be a good choice for you. It is one of the best ways to bolster your assets naturally with a symmetrical look that fits your aesthetic, as long as you have enough fat to spare in other areas of your body.
However, there are factors to consider before any surgery. It is generally recommended that every patient be mentally healthy, with clear and reasonable expectations for their surgery.
If you are dealing with health conditions like obesity, diabetes or high blood pressure, you are more likely to develop complications during surgery. Smoking and other nicotine usages also drastically increase your risk.
You may also be advised to avoid this procedure if you are unable to take sufficient time off work for recovery and unable or unwilling to follow the postoperative instructions. Recovering from a BBL involves special modifications, as you will not be able to sit or lay directly on your buttocks for around two weeks after the procedure. Following your surgeon’s recovery recommendations is essential for a satisfying result.
Preparing for Your Brazilian Butt Lift
Your BBL journey will begin with a thorough consultation with one of our board-certified surgeons. This is the time to bring up any questions, comments or concerns you have about the procedure. Please take as much time as you need to discuss these important details with your surgeon.
If you would like to combine your Brazilian Butt Lift with a secondary procedure, this is the best time to mention it to your surgeon. Your surgeon may also make recommendations at this time if he or she believes an adjunct procedure would be helpful in achieving your desired outcome. Combining procedures saves both time and money, so it is often preferred for patients who know they have multiple surgical goals they want to accomplish.
After listening to your concerns and goals, reviewing your medical history and examining your anatomy, your surgeon will develop a full treatment plan and provide you with a set of preoperative instructions to follow to ensure the safest possible surgery.
The Brazilian Butt Lift Procedure
BBL procedures at Edina Plastic Surgery take place at our state-of-the-art surgery center, which is outfitted with all necessary equipment and personnel, under general anesthesia.
Your plastic surgeon will first perform liposuction in the predetermined locations. The extracted fat will then be cleaned and purified before being injected meticulously into the buttocks to enhance volume, shape and perkiness. Placement technique of the fat is important both for fat survival and for your safety. This process is called fat grafting. About 60% of the fat injected will survive. Fat that does not survive is reabsorbed by your body. Injection into the fatty layer of your tissues rather than injection into the muscle has been associated with substantially lower rates of fat embolism. Fat embolism is a deadly complication, and injection into the muscle should be carefully avoided. No artificial devices are required and the surgery is less invasive than traditional buttock augmentation surgery. When the fat transfer is complete, you will be taken to the recovery room.
Brazilian Butt Lift Recovery and Results
The results of a BBL are immediately noticeable, but may be somewhat obscured by residual swelling. It is normal to be in some pain and discomfort as the healing process begins. You will receive medication to help mitigate those symptoms. You will also receive a list of postoperative instructions. These instructions are your guide to having the fastest and most comfortable recovery.
You will be asked not to sit or lay on your buttocks for approximately two weeks to maximize the amount of fat that survives the transfer. Your plastic surgeon may recommend using a donut cushion when sitting and placing a pillow between your knees when sleeping to minimize pressure on the buttocks. Most patients return to work 10 to 14 days after surgery and resume sitting activities six to eight weeks postop.
After a few weeks, most major swelling and bruising will dissipate. Your final result can be expected about 6 months after surgery. You can expect to see a significant increase in the shape and size of your buttocks. Your buttocks will be fuller and firmer, with improved proportions compared to the rest of your body. The results of your Edina BBL will last for many years.
Request a Consultation Today
Our board-certified surgeons regularly provide world-class Brazilian Butt Lift results to their patients. If you would like to boost the look and feel of your bottom, give us a call at 952-925-1765 or fill out our online consultation request form. The Edina Plastic Surgery team looks forward to meeting you and helping you achieve your desires!
