Please tell me this left cheek problem can be helped?

Question

I just want to look normal with a full bottom and gluteal folds that match better. :( I had a Brazilian butt lift on August 19 in 2022, and I am not super happy with the results. The process was very rushed, and I didn't get to speak to the doctor directly til the day of surgery. My left cheek is the problem, if it looked more like the right I'd be okay. But it looks totally different and has zero gluteal fold. Is there anything that can be done to help me get the look I want?

Ryan A. Stanton, MD · Answer

You are in good company with many others who had high hopes for BBL but instead received disappointing results (lumpiness, unevenness, lack of projection in the central and/or lower buttock, post-deflation sagging, etc.) as most of the fat melts away. It is not quite as much the quality of the doctor nor liposuction technique but rather the quality of the procedure that is a large part of the problem.  Thus, going back for additional rounds of BBL most often produces the same disappointing results but at another financial loss.

Buttock implants, however, provide a more reliable, predictable, relatively safe, and permanent result, especially for adding projection to the buttock and often smoothing out lumpiness. Occasionally a lower buttock tuck may be advantageous for lower buttock fold asymmetries and/or sagging.  When considering buttock implants make sure that the surgeon is going to be placing the implants within gluteus muscles , (a.k.a. “intramuscular pocket”), and that they are using anatomically correct, oval-shaped implants, such as Stanton Anatomic ®️ implants. 
Please keep in mind that an extremely few number of board-certified plastic surgeons specialize in these buttock implants so be sure to consult with one that is reputable and experienced. Unfortunately you may have to travel long and far away from home to find this particular surgeon. Glad to help.

Douglas Taranow, DO, FACOS · Answer

You have several things going on now.
First, your photos are not adequate for accurate diagnosis.
It appears that you have some scoliosis (curvature of your spine) which adds to the asymmetry of your buttocks.  The right side lacks a crease (which was present in the pre-operative photos too).  This is a VERY difficult anatomical issue to repair (impossible many times).  
A physical exam would be necessary to properly answer your questions.
Best wishes,
Dr. Taranow

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

To make an assessment on the outcome of a procedure we need to see quality before and after pictures. The pictures are included are not taken very well. They do show you had significant asymmetry prior to surgery so you’re going to have a symmetry afterwards as well. if you have concerns about the outcome of your procedure, then you need to discuss this with the surgeon who did the operation. Your surgeon is responsible for the outcome of the procedure and you were responsible for choosing that surgeon. 
You can also choose to have a second opinion in the person consultations with other plastic surgeons but ultimately it’s the surgeon who did your procedure’s responsibility to review the outcome with you. Somebody who has asymmetry before surgery is going to have asymmetry afterwards. Your left and right gluteal sides are inherently different and I always have been.
If you don’t like them, then you need to make it very clear what it is you don’t like and what you’re trying to achieve.
Some people are better candidate for the BBL procedure than others, and understanding your own candidacy before the procedure is paramount in understanding what the procedure can, and cannot accomplish. I suggest patients do this by having at least five in person consultations before deciding to schedule surgery. During each person, patient ask each provider to show their entire collection of before and after pictures of people who have similar body characteristics to your own.
Getting a quality assessment and properly vetting plastic surgeons before choosing to have the procedure is an important step in maximizing getting a quality outcome.
Revision work is much more difficult, and often does not deliver. I satisfaction to patients who are not happy with the outcome of the first procedure. Sometimes improvements can be made, but generally each time someone has surgery things get more complicated. 
Best,
Mats Hagstrom, MD

Please tell me this left cheek problem can be helped?

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Please tell me this left cheek problem can be helped?

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Everything you need to know about Brazilian Butt Lift Revision

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.