Brazilian Butt Lift

Discomfort after a Brazilian Butt Lift is expected but manageable with proper post-operative care and medication. Most patients experience soreness in both the liposuction areas and the buttocks, similar to deep muscle soreness or bruising. Swelling and tightness are also common in the first few weeks, gradually subsiding as the body heals. By following post-operative instructions, most patients find the recovery process tolerable, with significant improvement in comfort after the first week.

The process often requires these appointments: the initial consultation, the surgery itself, and follow-up visits to monitor your recovery. A pre-operative consultation is also recommended. During your consultation, Dr. Rivera will assess your candidacy, discuss your goals, and create a surgical plan. After the procedure, you will have a follow-up appointment within the first week to ensure proper healing and address any immediate concerns. Additional check-ups may be scheduled over the following months to track your progress and evaluate your final results.

Swelling and fluid retention are common in the first few weeks, making the buttocks appear larger before settling into their final shape. Additionally, not all transferred fat will survive, with the body naturally absorbing around 30-40% of the injected fat in the first few months. By the three to 6-month mark, the remaining fat cells stabilize, revealing a more defined and permanent outcome. Patients who follow post-operative care guidelines, including avoiding direct pressure on the buttocks and maintaining a stable weight, typically achieve the best long-term results.

BBLs can be safely combined with other body contouring procedures, with many choosing to pair it with a tummy tuck, which tightens abdominal muscles and removes excess skin for a more sculpted waistline. Liposuction in additional areas, such as the arms, back, or thighs, can further refine body proportions and create a more dramatic transformation. Some patients also opt for breast augmentation or a breast lift to achieve a full-body enhancement in a single surgical session. Dr. Rivera will evaluate your goals and overall health to determine the best combination of procedures to achieve your desired look safely.

A BBL carries certain risks, including fat embolism, infection, asymmetry, fat reabsorption, and irregular contouring. To ensure safety, Dr. Rivera follows the latest surgical guidelines, including advanced techniques for fat injection to prevent complications. Choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon with extensive experience in BBL procedures is essential for reducing risks and achieving the best possible results. During your consultation, Dr. Rivera will discuss all safety measures and provide a thorough risk assessment based on your medical history.

It is important to mention that this surgery augments and reshapes the butt. In recent times, this operation has become increasingly popular. There were initial safety concerns because, in the past, the buttock muscles were injected, and it is widely believed that this led to major complications. Therefore, the concept of “Safe Superficial buttocks augmentation” was created. Dr. Rivera-Serrano follows these newer treatment principles and only injects superficial fat into the buttock muscles, always using ultrasound guidance (“SAFE BBL”). The ultrasound allows for the visualization of the areas to be injected with increased safety. The BBL operation tends to be underpriced in some practices with questionable safety records. Surgery always has risks, but please do your due diligence and put your safety first.

It is a similar procedure to the BBL but with a more natural look, focused more on improving the shape than mainly augmenting the volume of the buttocks. There is a debate about where the term BBL was coined. Most people think it was in Brazil, but many plastic surgeons believe that the term actually originated from a plastic surgeon in California, using inspiration from the Brazilian culture.

Injecting the buttock muscles should not be done. Injecting fat superficially to the muscles is the appropriate procedure, although it has the small drawback of not being able to augment the buttocks as much as before. Nevertheless, the benefits of safety outweigh the risks. Additional sessions of fat transfer can be made to continue augmenting the buttocks so long as there is enough fat to transfer (liposuction).

After surgery, the care of a BBL is very specific. Patients should not lie on their backs or sides for several weeks. Sitting is possible using special pillows. A special garment is used after surgery. It is important to note that some of the transferred fat (about 50-60%, according to most surgeons) will be reabsorbed. Therefore, the buttocks are expected to lose some of their volume after surgery. Often, the initial transfer is slightly overdone to compensate for the absorption.

In the state of Florida, there is a limit on the amount of liposuction in same-day surgery cases. It is also important to know that the amount of fat to be transferred not only depends on the amount of available fat but also on the original size of the butt. If the butt is small, a limited amount of augmentation can be made, even if there is a large amount of fat to transfer. If the butt is large, a large amount of fat could be potentially transferred.

Think about having a small balloon and a large balloon. The small balloon does not have the capacity to hold much air inside because it becomes too tight. However, let’s imagine that the small balloon, over several months, eventually relaxes and stretches, and a second round of transfer can be made. Similarly, with BBLs, if the butt is small, it may need more than one transfer to achieve the patient’s desired size, given there is not enough room to place the fat. Occasionally, a tummy tuck can be combined with a mini BBL. A personal consultation will determine what is best for you.