Can I get a BBL or is my BMI too high? (Photo)

At 5'4" and 220 lb, your BMI is about 38, which is higher than many surgeons consider safe for an elective BBL. In the photos, there appears to be enough donor fat, but the issue is not just fat availability; it is surgical and anesthesia risk.

A higher BMI increases the risk of blood clots, wound problems, infection, fluid shifts, anesthesia complications, and less predictable contouring. Many plastic surgeons prefer a BMI under 30 to 35, depending on overall health and the procedure plan. The safest next step is to lose weight to a stable, healthier range, then be evaluated for BBL candidacy and whether liposuction plus fat transfer can be done safely.

My advice is to lose as much weight as you can before you undergo 360 liposuction and fat transfer to the buttocks and hips. High BMI correlates with a significantly higher risk of surgical and anesthesia complications: Bleeding, DVT, PE, heart attacks, strokes and death. Also, your result would be much better if you lose weight. Remember, liposuction only suctions the fat (lipofat). It does nothing to the skin. Skin contracts on its own. The lower the BMI, the better skin contracture you get after liposuction. Hope this helps. Goodluck.

Your BMI (Body Mass Index) from the measurements given is 37.8, which is slightly too high for a body contouring procedure. Ideally your BMI would be below 35 to keep you as safe as possible, which would be a weight around 200lbs. Getting down to a normal BMI greatly decreases your risk of complications from any body contouring procedure.

Hello @claudet41, thank you for your question. Every practice has different requirements for performing a BBL. BMI is one of them to analyze how risky and optimal the surgery can be, in terms of complications that the patient could have or the results that the patient want to obtain from the surgery. If BMI is higher than 30 is recommended to lose weight with a healthy diet low in fat and sugars and thus not only prepare for your surgery, but also start to create awareness to take care of your body when you're ready for your surgery. Best wishes! Alan Gonzalez MD, FACS. American Society of Plastic Surgery Member (ASPS), International Federation for Adipose Therapeutics and Science” Member (IFATS), Colombian Society of Plastic Surgery member (SCCP).

I often advice against having BBL in BMI more than 35 as the risks of surgery are much higher (chest infection, DVT/PE, fat necrosis and delayed healing). Also you don't get the best outcome from surgery due to the remaining internal visceral fat tissue. Generally speaking the best BMI to have this surgery is between 22-25 these are not 100% accurate as people tend to store the weight in different parts of the body. That's why it;s important to have a consultation with an experienced surgeon that would be able to assess the amount of external and visceral fat available and the best BMI that would match your aims and expectations.

Thanks for your question. At my practice, the max Body Mass Index (BMI) limit for a Brazilian butt lift (BBL) is 35. The BMI is based on your height and weight. Going by the height and weight you provided, you are over the appropriate limit for a BBL. I would recommend consulting with your primary care physician on a proper diet for you to bring down your BMI in order to be able to undergo the procedure. Please always consult with a board certified plastic surgeon. Take Care, Moises Salama MD, board certified plastic surgeon

Dear claudet41,
based on your photos, you look like a good candidate for a BBL. Liposuction of your abdomen, back and flanks should give you more curves and hourglass shape and fat transfer to buttocks should give you more projection. I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon because 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

Dear Claudet,
While you are large, you are still fine with my requirements (BMI of less than 40) provided that you don't have other underlying medical issues.
Best wishes,
Dr. Taranow

Why do you want a BBL?
Your bottom is plenty, big by most people standard, and I see no good reason to making it bigger. And BBL is primarily at volume creating procedure augmenting the buttocks with fat grafting. There’s nothing stopping you from having it, but you’re not in my opinion a good candidate for a BBL.
Consider re-posting stating what you’re hoping to achieve. That may be better than simply asking if you were a candidate for a BBL different providers, have different views on doing high BMI procedures. There are inherent limitations to how much fat can be removed successfully during a single procedure, and still stay within the safety guidelines. You’ve already had a tummy tuck and your abdomen looks really good. Like I mentioned earlier your bottom isn’t lacking volume so adding more volume is perhaps not the best procedure for you. Weight loss will always make you healthier and a better candidate for any surgical procedure. it’s important to get an understanding of what you’re trying to achieve so maybe focus communication from that perspective.
To get a more accurate assessment and better understanding of what each procedure can, and cannot accomplish. I recommend having multiple in person consultations with local board-certified plastic surgeons in your community.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom, MD