A Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) surgery is a very common body contouring procedure that enhances the shape and size of the buttocks. It involves using fat from other areas of the body, such as the flanks, abdomen, or thighs to create a more aesthetically pleasing appearance of an individual’s backside.
In addition to lifting and volumizing the buttock, a BBL involves artful sculpting of the surrounding areas, including the flanks (“love handles”) and lower back. The result is typically a rounder, fuller look with improved proportionality between one’s waist and buttock area.
Your local Miami based BBL surgeon will start with liposuction that extracts fat from unwanted areas on your body – followed by reinjection into the subcutaneous (superficial) fat layers of the buttock area.
This unique combination gives you added control over how much volume you want in specific areas of your buttocks and hips for an optimal outcome.
What sets BBL apart from other cosmetic buttock-augmentation procedures is its ability to utilize unwanted fatty deposits elsewhere on your body rather than implants or synthetic fillers. The technique offers natural long-lasting results without the worries and complications associated with foreign objects inside the body.
Because this procedure uses only harvested fat cells, rather than implanted materials such as silicone or saline implants, there is a significantly lower risk of long-term complications, such as device infection, implant rejection/scarring, or implant displacement.
Another advantage is that since a BBL utilizes your own fat cells that grow into their new home in the buttock, there is no long-term maintenance or surveillance required.
Benefits of BBL Surgery
Brazilian Butt Lift surgery has become increasingly popular in recent years due to its ability to provide natural long-lasting results with no required long-term maintenance. It offers a more feminine physique with improved harmony between the buttock, hips, flanks and waist, resulting in a beautiful hour-glass figure.
The procedure can help address not only flattening of the buttocks, but also any asymmetry in volume between the two sides. Volumizing the buttock also has a lift effect, and may counteract some of the changes that naturally occur with age or weight loss.
Another benefit is that it is minimally invasive, and may often be performed while awake. This translates to a speedy recovery and fewer anesthesia-related complications. It also involves only tiny incisions required for liposuction and fat injection, thus minimizing scarring.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
The ideal candidate will desire a fuller, perkier buttock, and also have enough fat pockets elsewhere on their body for the transfer. Most appropriate surgery patients:
- Are generally healthy to undergo the procedure safely
- Desire a fuller, perkier buttock
- Have fat pockets elsewhere on the body for the transfer
- Do not smoke
- Do not have too much excess skin
- Have had a stable weight over the past few months
How Much Does Brazilian Butt Lift Surgery Cost in Miami?
Generally, most BBL procedures in Miami costs $3,000-8,000 depending on the areas being liposculpted. The cost may be higher if a patient wishes to be asleep for the procedure, or desires more areas of liposuction.
Brazilian Butt Lift surgery is generally among the most cost-effective buttock augmentation or lift options, especially when considering the long-term costs of implant revision, replacement, or complications.
Some of the factors that reduce cost of surgery include no need for expensive silicone implants, lower revision rates, and lower anesthesia costs. The procedure also has the added benefit of including liposuction to improve the contour of the abdomen, waist, flanks, thighs, or other areas.
Pricing at Belcerna Plastic Surgery is always all-inclusive. It includes everything from the facility fee and anesthesia fees, to a post-surgical garment and CosmetAssure insurance policy for additional peace of mind. Do not be fooled by low prices elsewhere only to be later surprised by extensive add-on fees.
We offer financing through PatientFi, Alphaeon, and CareCredit. Please contact our office for more information on payment and financing options.
How To Prepare for Surgery?
Any surgical procedure is a long-term investment; intentional preparation is critical to achieve optimal results and minimize complications. Stopping smoking at least 4 week prior to surgery is absolutely critical.
Smoking has been shown to increase the risk of infection and resorption of transferred fat. The negative effects of smoking on surgical recovery generally last up to 4 weeks.
Certain supplements and medications, such as NSAIDs, may increase the risk of bruising and should be stopped prior to surgery. Other medications, such as those for blood pressure control, are critical to continue.
Our experienced team will discuss specific steps to take in preparation for your procedure.
You will need to arrange for a trusted driver to take you home after surgery. If you decide to undergo the procedure under anesthesia, we will discuss any additional precautions, such as fasting.
What To Expect on the Day of Your Procedure?
All Brazilian Butt Lift procedures are performed at accredited ambulatory surgery centers, and anesthesia care is provided by board-certified anesthesiologists.
- On the morning of your procedure, you will meet with Dr. Kachniarz and review the details of the procedure, including the risks, benefits, and customized surgical plan.
- During the surgery we will first perform liposuction to remove fat cells from the desired areas, most commonly the abdomen, waist, and flanks. Liposuction is also used to artfully sculpt the areas around the buttock, such as the lower back, to optimize harmony with the buttock and achieve that hour-glass figure.
- The fat cells are then carefully purified and injected into the buttock area to achieve the desired aesthetic. The fat cells are injected only within the subcutaneous space to minimize the risk of complications. In addition to augmenting and lifting the buttocks, many patients desire filling of any hip dips, which is also performed at this time.
- After the procedure, all access incisions are carefully closed and dressings applied. You will have a specialized surgical garment that provides compression to liposculpted areas, without any pressure to the buttock itself.
- You will then recover for an hour or two in the recovery unit and be discharged home. Dr. Kachniarz will call you that evening to check in and answer any questions.
Post-Surgery Recovery Process
After undergoing a Brazilian Butt Lift, it is important to understand the post-surgery recovery process in order to ensure optimal results and minimize complications. Immediately after surgery, you should expect some swelling and bruising around your backside.
With that said, you will be asked to ambulate gently, but regularly, immediately after the procedure. This minimizes the risk of any blood clots in the legs.
You will have a specialized surgical garment that applies compression to the areas of liposuction but avoids pressure to the buttocks.
Timeline
- You should wear the garment for 4-6 weeks, and will also be instructed on lymphatic massage to further minimize swelling.
- To reduce the amount of fat resorption, patients are advised to avoid any pressure to the buttock for up to 4 weeks.
- You should also avoid heavy exercise and new weight-loss diets for 6-8 weeks. Remember that the transferred fat cells are very vulnerable immediately after surgery, and may be easily metabolized if you attempt to lose weight.
- Most patients are able to return to work after about a week, and resume all activities after 6 weeks.
You will see your surgeon regularly for follow up visits, at which time we will monitor your recovery.
Long term Recovery
- 1-3 months post-op: Reduction in swelling and more accurate representation of contour changes.
- 6-12 months post-op: Final results become apparent as the body heals and new fat cell networks establish.
Everyone recovers at a slightly different pace, and the final results may take up to six months to stabilize. That said, most of the results are apparent much earlier than that.
Recovery Tips
There are several strategies to speed up recovery and optimize long-term results after liposculpture. These include:
- Early lymphatic massage to reduce swelling
- Silicone tape over liposuction ports
- Wearing compression garment for 4-6 weeks
- Elevating any treated extremities as much as feasible
- Regular massage to minimize scar formation over treated areas
Recovery Tips To Optimize Long-Term Results
A Brazilian Butt Lift procedure is a long-term investment, and its effects are permanent following the recovery period. It is critically important that you invest in your recovery to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Some strategies to minimize resorption of fat include:
- Avoiding pressure to buttocks (ex. sitting, laying on back) for 4 weeks
- Avoiding weight-loss diets (this is the time to feed the fat!)
- Avoiding heavy exercise
- Not smoking or using nicotine products
Remember that the newly transferred fat takes time to grow into its new locations, and be nourished by the surrounding tissues.
During this recovery period, which may last 4-6 weeks, the transferred fat is very vulnerable to being metabolized and reabsorbed. Make sure to protect it by avoiding pressure, heavy exercise, and weight loss diets.
Follow-Up
Most of the final results will be apparent after six months to one year, as the fat cells stabilize. Regular follow-up appointments with the plastic surgeon are crucial for monitoring progress and addressing any concerns. Patients may notice some scarring, which typically fades over time, and should maintain a stable weight to prevent sagging.
- Ongoing check-ins with the surgeon: Keeps the recovery on track and allows for timely interventions if necessary.
- Stable weight maintenance: Essential for sustaining the enhancements and preventing distortion of the results.
Realistic Expectations for BBL Outcomes
Patients must establish realistic expectations before undergoing BBL surgery. Expectations should be grounded in the understanding that results will vary based on individual body shapes and the amount of viable fat for transfer. The final shape and volume stabilize over several months post-operatively.
Risks and Complications
As with any procedure, there are inherent risks to undergoing surgery, including infection, asymmetry, and contour irregularity. These are inherently more common with any fat transfer procedure given the unpredictability of fat survival after the procedure, and also degree of any scar formation during the healing process.
Everyone heals differently, with different degrees of swelling, bruising, or scarring.
The tips mentioned above will make sure you achieve the very best outcomes possible.
One BBL-specific complication that has received much attention in recent years is pulmonary fat embolism. There have been reports of transferred fat migrating through large veins in the buttock area, ultimately traveling to the lungs, and even leading to death in some cases.
It is thought that such instances have occurred from injection of fat into, or under, the gluteal muscles. Much research within the plastic surgery community has been focused in recent years on reducing the risks associated with Brazilian Butt Lift procedures.
One of the most important advances that Dr. Kachniarz employs in all of his procedures is the subcutaneous BBL.
Subcutaneous BBL To Reduce Risks
As mentioned above, much research has recently focused on reducing the risks of BBL surgery, specifically that of pulmonary fat embolism. It is thought that most cases of fat embolism occur from migration of fat towards the lungs when it is injected either into, or underneath, the buttock musculature.
To avoid this, Dr. Kachniarz injects the fat exclusively into the subcutaneous plane in all patients. The technique involves transferring the fat above the buttock musculature, but underneath much of the superficial buttock fat.
This can help maximize the amount of the transfer, and reduces the risk of any palpable nodules, cysts, or contour irregularities.
When selecting your Brazilian Butt Lift surgeon, make sure they have the training and credentials to provide you with the best possible results, as safely as possible. It is critical that your surgeon is up to date on the latest advances in this procedure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Brazilian Butt Lift Results Permanent?
Following the recovery period, during which time the transferred fat is undergoing healing and may become partially metabolized, the results are permanent.Most studies suggest that a quarter of the transferred fat will be reabsorbed on average. The remainder permanently survives within the buttock.
What Is A Subcutaneous BBL?
A subcutaneous BBL is a new technique that aims to reduce the risks associated with more traditional BBL approaches. It involves injecting fat above the buttock musculature, but below the superficial layers of buttock fat.This minimizes the risk of pulmonary fat embolism, while still maximizing the amount of transfer and reduces the risk of palpable nodules, cysts, and contour irregularities.
Is A Brazilian Butt Lift Surgery Safe?
Your safety is our top priority at Belcerna Plastic Surgery. For this reason, all of our Brazilian Butt Lift procedures are performed at an accredited ambulatory surgery center, and anesthesia is provided by board-certified anesthesiologists.Dr. Kachniarz utilizes the latest techniques, including the subcutaneous BBL, to give you the best possible results, as safely as possible.
References
[1] Annals of Medicine and Surgery. https://journals.lww.com/annals-of-medicine-and-surgery/Fulltext/2017/12000/The_science_behind_autologous_fat_grafting.14.aspx
[2] Aesthetic Surgery Journal. https://academic.oup.com/asj/article/39/5/526/5067487\