How Painful Is It to Have a Brazilian Butt Lift?

I just finished talking to a pateint with a BBL yesterday, who reported that they were "sore" but walking around. They had taken 4 doses of pain pills. They stated that the buttock was the most painful area. The abdomen, hips, outer thighs and arms were the donor sites. 550 cc were injected into each buttock. The patient called, not for complaints of pain, but to know if she could shower. The soreness typically lasts for 3 months but does not prevent most individuals from returning to their jobs within 7-10 days.

This is a very common
question, as I believe that the post-operative care is a very important part of
achieving your final results.

The fat transfer, often called Brazilian butt
lift has become extremely popular because it allows your plastic surgeon to
transform your entire shape. You improve your waist, hips and of course your
buttock.

The area where the fat is harvested
(liposuction) is sore but typically patients don’t have a lot of pain. Patients
also typically do not have a lot of pain in the buttock where the fat is
placed. It is difficult for patients to get comfortable the first few days
after the surgery, as they are sore in multiple places.

The difficult part of the recovery is that I do
not allow patients to sit for the first two weeks after the surgery. The fat
needs time to heal and become part of your buttock. During this time patients
may lie on their stomach, stand and walk, but they need to avoid sitting as
much as possible. The majority of
patients are back at work after a week of recovery.

For six weeks I have patients is a special
compression garment that helps shape the buttock and compress the areas that
have been liposuctioned.

Brazilian Butt Lift recovery time is dependent on how the patient’s body reacts to the procedure. Patients usually return to work after a week but you should not sit without the use of cushions for at least two weeks and you must wear a compression garment for several weeks after the procedure. Swelling and discomfort normally fades at six weeks. After about a month you will be mostly healed and you can get a nice idea of the results after around six months.

Pain is relative and it's differs from patient to patient. With that said, you will definitely be sore for at least a week, though your plastic surgeon will initial prescribe you pain medication to help with this. For my patient's I often tell my patients they will need at least a week for initial recovery. Hope this helps and good luck!Kamran Azad MD, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Post operative pain will vary from procedure to procedure and patient to patient. Liposuction is generally well tolerated with most patients comparing the discomfort to post work out soreness. The fat transfer component does not add a great deal of pain to the procedure.
Most patients will return to most activities of daily life inside of a week (save for those restrictions associated with off loading and pressure recommendations).
As always, discuss your concerns with a board certified plastic surgeon (ABPS).

Pain tolerance varies from person to person. But I like to tell patients that following a surgery you are sore, similar to one of the worst workout soreness you have had and it is comparable to that. 

Cost factors vary significantly for a number of good reasons: Prices vary greatly because the surgery itself encompasses a wide range of techniques that can be performed to different extents. My recommendation is to first find the most qualified surgeons where you want the surgery performed that are board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery you trust, then compare prices between them. See the below link on suggestions on how to find the most qualified plastic surgeon for your procedure. General Factors that influence the price of plastic surgery include:


1. Location - Will it be performed in a hospital with an overnight stay, an independent out- patient facility or a doctor’s office? Geographical location also has a significant influence. RealSelf has average charges for most areas of the USA.


2. Type of Anesthesia - local, IV sedation or General Anesthesia? Will a board certified anesthesiologist, nurse anesthetist, or an RN be used?
    
      3. Experience and training of your surgeon. The best and longest trained is most often a plastic surgeon board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery
   
      4. Length and Complexity of Surgery - how difficult will your surgery be and how long it will take, etc. Will other complementary procedures also be also performed during the same surgery?

Brazilian Butt Lift is a big operation. Most patients have a large amount of liposuction and I think this is the most painful part. I describe it to patients as though they have worked out super hard and are really sore. The pain is in the muscles below where the fat was harvested, so for instance the back is very sore. There is some pain from the grafts as well, but I feel the liposuction is more painful. That being said, most women tolerate this very well. The pain is rough for the first 24-48hrs and then gets better daily. It is always easier to handle pain when it's for something you desperately want. Best of luck to you!

Thank you for your question!  It all depends on your personal pain tolerance.  It's hard to tell how bad the pain will be, for some people it's mostly just uncomfortable.  Best of luck!Dr Dhaval PatelDouble Board CertifiedPlastic SurgeonChicago Hoffman Estates Oak Brook

While pain and discomfort following a Brazilian Butt Lift is to be expected, most patients cite only minor discomfort and are typically up and about 24-48 hours after their procedure feeling quite well.  But remember to keep in mind that pain tolerance varies from patient to patient.  Most commonly the pain experienced is related to the amount of liposuction performed and the areas treated, however, post-operative swelling can also contribute to this.  

It’s not unusual for patients to have pain and swelling
following Brazilian butt lift surgery. In
most cases, this pain is related to the liposuction portion of the
procedure. These problems are related to
passage of the liposuction cannula through the subcutaneous tissue. Post-operative swelling can also contribute
to post-operative discomfort and lead to other problems as well.In many
cases, the quality of the patient’s surgical experience is related to
post-operative pain management.Pain
tolerance varies from patient to patient with some describing it as minimal,
while others describe it as severe. In the immediate post-operative period,
patients are given narcotic pain relievers. They are rapidly switched to
non-narcotic pain relievers as soon as possible.Small
amounts of pain and swelling may be present for several months following
brazilian butt lift surgery.When
prolonged severe pain and swelling are present, this might indicate the
presence of a complication.Under these
circumstances, contacting your plastic surgeon would be appropriate.