Who Pays for a Brazilian Butt Lift Gone Wrong?

Thank you for your question and I am sorry that your result did not meet your expectation. Unfortunately, there are risks to every procedure and so your concerns are mirrored by many people who have undergone cosmetic plastic surgery, had an unsatisfactory result, desire a revision, but are unsure of who will pay for the revision. The short answer is that every case is different and you need to discuss this issue with your plastic surgeon. In reading your question, it seems as if two things may have occurred. First, your aesthetic goals were either not communicated clearly enough to the plastic surgeon or the operative plan of where you wanted the augmentation to occur was not followed. Second, it implicates that a discussion of what would occur if a suboptimal result was achieved has either been forgotten or was not clearly made. I can't stress the importance of having a frank discussion during your consultation about topics like risks, complications, realistic expectations, and the fees associated with having to perform revisionary surgery. Every plastic surgeon handles it in their own way and its important that patients consider this when they decide on having cosmetic surgery.

The pre op consultation is vitally important between the Dr. and the Patient prior to surgery to make sure each is on the same page, and to make sure what you are expecting is something the surgeon feels he can reasonably deliver. I am not sure what transpired between you and your surgeon. Understanding that no Surgeon can guarantee results of any kind, there should be some understanding of what will be completed and the intended ideal result. Policies with revisional surgery vary greatly from surgeon to surgeon. Some may do the revision without additional charge. Some surgeons may perform a revision with payment for anesthesia, operating room and supplies, and others will charge a discounted full fee depending on many factors. There are no hard and fast rules here. This is something you simply must work out with your surgeon. It is a good idea for patients to ask, in advance, about policies and costs regarding revisional surgeries.  Secondly, you have to make sure you are a good candidate for a second BBL. This would need to be determined by at least photos, a consultation and exam being best. Can your liposculpting contours be improved? Is there enough fat remaining to harvest and produce desired results? What areas were treated with liposculpture the first time as compared to remaining excess fat in other areas. If there is enough available fat in areas where liposculpting was not performed the first time, the second BBL could be performed from between 3 and 6 months. If fat must be harvested from the same areas, and assuming there is enough fat, i would recommend waiting from 6 months to one year. The reason to wait longer when performing liposculpture on the same previously treated areas, is to wait for the the firmness and scar tisssues to soften and resolve. You can't see it or feel it, however, areas previously treated with liposculpture can be very firm with scar tissue making the procedure of viable fat harvesting very difficult. Firmness and scar tissue from previous surgery will generally continue to soften and and resolve over one year.

Keep in mind that any operation has the potential of yielding suboptimal results. Revision surgery is sometimes required, and the preop discussion between surgeon and patient should include how revisions are handled. Some surgeons will do minor "tweaks" without charge, but when a more involved correction requires use of a facility and anesthesia the patient is generally expected to pay for those outside costs. 

A Brazilian butt lift is a safe and effective procedure that combines liposuction of the abdomen hips waist and back and then fat grafting to the gluteal region. This is a safe and effective way to contour the lower body. Like all surgeries, it is possible to develop a complication after a Brazilian butt lift. If this has occurred, your best bet is to work closely with your doctor to determine what can be done. Keep in mind that a revision of a Brazilian butt lift can be caught in procedure so it is essential that you work with a board-certified plastic surgeon has a great deal of experience with these techniques. If your doctor is not such a surgeon, you'd be well served to obtain a second opinion.