Lipo 360/BBL: How tough is recovery and what is the likelihood of complications?

Dear Keeetz
it is hard to tell for sure without an examination. If you are considering surgery, I would suggest you consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination, you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MDCertified, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

No matter what surgical procedure you choose, there are always risks involved. BBL procedures are the most dangerous plastic surgery procedure performed, however, the complication rates are still relatively low when performed by a board certified plastic surgeon at an accredited facility. The complication rate plummeted after surgeons stopped placing the fat in the buttock muscles opting to only place the fat in the fatty tissue under the skin and above the muscle.
The pain level for the BBL is more so related to the areas liposuctioned. Lipo 360 touches all of the muscle groups of the abdomen and lower back leading to a longer postoperative recovery than say a single area. Generally speaking, most lipo 360 patients require one week off from work to recuperate. You are not totally healed, but feeling well enough to work. You must still refrain from sitting for a total of 4 weeks (unless using a BBL pillow).
Best wishes,
Dr. Taranow

Patients should be comfortable with the decision of having cosmetic surgery when they scheduled the procedure. Backing out of surgery and changing surgery schedules, especially on short notice is undesirable, unprofessional, and puts a substantial number of people at great inconvenience and financial loss.
All surgical procedures have risks involved. Risks should be based on the implication combined with the frequency. Those are a highly risk averse should probably avoid having cosmetic surgery since it is not a necessary procedure. Patients are ready to have cosmetic surgery when desire to have the procedure outweighs all the negative aspects.
Well, many patients worry about medical complications, including fatal outcomes. These are in fact, very rare and which patients should be concerned about is quality outcomes. Quality results in plastic surgery are based on two variables. The first is the patient’s candidacy for the procedure and the second is a skillet experience of the provider. You need to have a good grasp on both of these in order to maximize the process being positive and having a good outcome.
When medical complications happen, there are usually not a direct fault of the surgeon, and are more likely to be random. There are some processes which can reduce complications and most plastic surgeons implement any risk reduction as standard operating procedure.
Being left with an undesirable outcome is far more likely, and is in reality what patients should be worried about.
This is best minimized by having a clear understanding of your own candidacy for the procedure and the appropriateness of the operation you’re choosing. Not everybody is a good candidate for a BBL and you need to understand if your candidacy is good, average or less then.
The second variable is the skills and experience of the provider. This is a relatively straightforward. The more consultations you have the more likely you are to find the best provider. I recommend patient start by having at least five in person consultations to help find the best provider. Delivering consistent quality Liposuction and fat transfer result is more difficult than most people believe. The number of plastic surgeons of truly mastered this procedure is a small minority I need to be found.
Being board-certified and plastic surgery with an overall good reputation and years of experience, does not mean somebody has mastered either Liposuction or fat transfer. There is a substantial number of plastic surgeons who are simply not good at Liposuction, and will never master the procedure in their lifetime. Substantial number of plastic surgeons don’t like doing Liposuction.
Defined the best provider. I suggest patient schedule as many in person consultations as possible. There’s no correct number of consultations to find the best provider but the more consultations you have the higher the chance is going to be. As a reference, I suggest patient start by having a minimum of five consultations.
During each consultation, ask each provider to open up your portfolio and show you their entire collection of before, and after pictures of previous patient, who had similar body characteristics to your own. Ask providers to show you a variety of outcomes, including excellent results, average results and results that did not turn out as well as they had hoped. Providers may be apprehensive to do this, and will preferred to show you pre-selected images, representing the best results of their career. For fat transfer results always ask exactly when after pictures were taken, and do not assume that after pictures were taken, when results are mature, which takes at least 3 to 6 months.
Early fat transfer results can look very impressive, but do not represent final results by any means.
Never assume that after pictures were taken when results are final. Always ask.
An experience plastic surgeon should have no difficulty showing in the before and after pictures of at least 50 previous patient.
Become familiar with what quality before and after pictures look like. Make sure you review only pictures of previous patients whose bodies look similar to your own in the before pictures. People often do not remember or have accurate ideas of what your bodies look like. I suggest patient start the process by having a set of pictures of their own body taken the same way plastic surgeons take before and after pictures and use these as a reference when reviewing before, and after pictures both at home and during consultations.
Take careful notes during each consultation, especially regarding both the quantity and quality of before and after pictures shown. Take an active role during the consultation process, recognizing that you are hiring someone to perform a service for you. You have all the right in the world to demand to see Sufficient numbers of before and after pictures to get a clear understanding of what average results look like in the hands of each provider. When, in doubt, slow down and schedule more consultations.
Most people do not have a great deal of experience going through plastic surgery consultations. Plastic surgeons on the other hand have years of experience doing consultations. The process can be intimidating for some, but most people will improve their skill of having affective consultations by having more than one.
The biggest mistake people make having cosmetic surgery is assuming that the provider they interviewed has the skills and experience necessary to deliver quality results and do not schedule enough consultations.
The second biggest reason for having disappointment is patients not having a clear understanding of their own candidacy for a certain procedure, or choosing inappropriate operations.
Perhaps the most common is women who need tummy tucks, choosing Liposuction as an easier recovery and then being disappointed with the outcome.
In the hands of the correct plastic surgeon, you’ll be guided through the process and surgeons will explain why certain procedures are going to be ideal for each individual patient. A sufficiently talented provider should also be able to clearly differentiate your candidacy for the procedure and show appropriate before and after pictures of previous patients who had very similar candidacy’s and should be able to deliver consistent quality outcomes based on that.
If you get a clear understanding of your candidacy for the BBL, including what areas to be treated and not treated with Liposuction, and find a provider who has a solid track record for delivering quality results that are appealing to you, then everything else will work itself out.
Individuals who are highly risk-averse should probably avoid the process because there is always a risk involved in having surgery.
In reality, the biggest risk patients face is not having a fat embolism or an infection, but rather being left with the results that are very different than what they had hoped for making the whole process, disappointing and regretful.
Ending up with disappointing outcomes, is totally preventable by going through the vetting process, systematically and putting in sufficient effort.
Doing this process correctly will not eliminate risks of having medical complications, but patients have full control over choosing the right provider and getting a clear understanding of their own candidacy for the procedure.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom, MD