Can Brazilian Butt Lift Be Done Awake or Do I Have to Be Fully Asleep?

Hi there-
The answer to your question is probably. But I think it's very important to understand that I don't think this is really the question that you ought to be asking...
The better questions are these: Is doing a Brazilian Butt Lift on me under local anesthesia in my bests interests? Is it safer? Am I as likely to achieve my goals? Why is it your impression that local anesthesia would be better?
The answer to these questions is NO, I do not believe it is in your best interests.
Here's the problem... Obviously if you were to pursue a procedure to improve the shape of your body you would be doing so in the hopes of achieving the best outcome possible- in other words, no one ever goes to a plastic surgeon and says, "I don't really want your best work, maybe just mail this one in..."
Trying to do a procedure of this magnitude under local anesthesia is in my opinion a mistake because even with a very good block, you are probably still going to have some pain during the procedure- and when you do, it will cause you to move a bit. The combination of you having difficulty holding still and experiencing pain is going to make it much harder for me to do my very best work for you, as I worry that you are hurting and having a bad experience, and as I try to complete the procedure on a moving patient...
So, in terms of you having a positive experience and achieving your goals, I think you are much better off under general anesthesia for this procedure.
As far as your safety goes, again, I would recommend general anesthesia. Many people (including a lot of doctors) believe that local anesthesia is harmless and totally safe... but the reality is that it can be a great risk to your safety- especially when given in the large volumes that would be necessary for you to have this procedure done. Indeed, recently a woman in Florida died while having a non-plastic surgeon perform liposuction on her under local anesthesia. She died because as she kept complaining about pain, he kept giving her more local anesthesia. She eventually became toxic and died.
For healthy people, the risk of general anesthesia is very low and manageable when administered by qualified anesthesiologists.
I think that if what you want is to be as safe as possible, and to have a pleasant experience, and the most beautiful butt possible, trying to do this under local would be a big mistake.

SEE VIDEO BELOW FOR PATIENT RESULTS:
Due to the need to treat multiple areas to obtain the grafts as well as the intramuscular placement of the fat, it is typically performed under general anesthesia. However, depending on the extent of the procedure, it could be performed under a regional anesthetic as well.

I would not recommend that you be awake for the procedure. Too painful and risky. Seek a plastic surgeon who performs hundreds of these procedures, has great reviews and photos, and is an expert in this field.

No!  The liposcution alone can be painful because every amount of fat is necessary, therefore, difficult to achieve complete anesthesia.  Then comes the fat grafting.   This involves placing the fat in deep tissue and local anesthesia can not achieve the anesthesia that is necessary.

 

Although it is possible to remain awake or sedated during a Brazilian Butt lift, you would be most comfortable and would achieve the best results with a deeper form of anesthesia.

Keep in mind that a Brazilian Butt lift is a competition procedure that first begins with several like the suction of the abdomen, waist, hips, flanks, and lower back. The fat that is collected is then cleaned and processed and then strategically transplanted to the butt. When the surgeon is grafting the fat about he may need to place the fat in multiple deep planes and even within the muscle. This may be uncomfortable for you. To achieve the best results, it is best that the patient remaining as comfortable as possible so that the surgeon may perform the techniques that are necessary for a beautiful and long-lasting result.

For more information on Brazilian butt lifts or butt augmentation, please schedule an iConsult or visit us online at the link below:

But, NO, I wouldn't recommend it!
For the Brazilian to be done well, it usually involves removal of a fair amount of fat with liposuction, followed by injecting the fat into the buttocks. Although it would be possible to numb those areas, I would have definite concerns about toxicity (overdose) on the numbing medication.
Definitely wouldn't recommend it!

In a Brazilian Butt Lift a lot of fat needs to be removed from several areas of the body. While liposuction under local anesthesia is well tolerated for 1-2 areas, it is not comfortable for either patient or surgeon, when more areas are treated. Suctioning multiple areas involves changing positions, injecting tumescent solution and suctioning, followed by fat processing. Ultimately, when enough fat was obtained, the patient has the fat transferred to the buttocks in the prone and the slight side to side positions.
Can Brazilian Butt Lift be done awake or do I have to be fully asleep? I do not think it is a question of "CAN it be done" under local anesthesia but of "would local anesthesia give me the best result and shortest procedure?" Under local anesthesia you will feel more of the pain and discomfort as well as move when you should not making the procedure longer than it needs to be and potentially the results may not be as good.
Good Luck.
Dr. P. Aldea

We just heard yesterday in the Seattle news of a patient dying 12 hours after liposuction done under local anesthesia. The cause of death was determined to be local anesthetic toxicity. This would not have happened had this healthy young patient undergone her liposuction under general anesthesia because much less local anesthesia would have been infused into the fat.
Since liposuction is the main element of the BBL, you should take heed of this and not repeat the mistake by thinking that local anesthesia has no risk.