Which should come first, TT or BBL?

Question

Should you get a tummy tuck then go back for a bbl or should it be the other way around?? Can you get them at the same time??

Nathan Eberle, MD, DDS, FACS · Answer

to have them both performed at the same time. Better to get the BBL performed first bc if you have the TT performed first, then a portion of your fat will be harvested and will not be able to be used for your fat transfer.

Jaime S. Schwartz, MD, FACS · Answer

I appreciate your question.

I would recommend that you stage these procedures for optimal results.  Start with BBL then do the Tummy Tuck.

The best way to assess and give true advice would be an in-person exam.

Please see a board-certified plastic surgeon that specializes in aesthetic and restorative plastic surgery.

Best of luck!

Dr. Schwartz

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

#RealSelf100Surgeon

#RealSelfCORESurgeon

Emmanuel Mallol Cotes, MD · Answer

Thank you very much for sharing your concerns with us.

For safety reasons, to be a good candidate for those procedures you want at the same time, your labs and cardiovascular preoperative evaluation must be optimal.Therefore, you must be a healthy person, within an appropriate BMI and no history of diseases that increase the surgical / anesthetic risk degree.Finally, I recommend you a skilled certified plastic surgeon in body contouring surgery and experienced in cases like yours where the planned operating time is less than five hours.

Respectfully,Dr. Emmanuel Mallol Cotes.-

Jed H. Horowitz, MD, FACS · Answer

Additional procedures that may enhance the result are Liposuction, Breast Procedures, or Thigh Lift. Mommy makeovers usually include multiple operations.  Brazilian “butt enhancement” can be done at the same time to provide best body contours. Arm reduction or brachiaplasty is also common. The best way to determine your combination for proper final results is in consultation with a local board certified plastic surgeon. You will be able to plan out the procedure in the most ideal manner, especially considering that combined procedures help save surgery time and cost as well as recovery time. Good luck!

Thomas Trevisani, MD · Answer

I am not a proponent of having BBL and an Abdominoplasty performed at the same time- you can read my blog attached with more info re/it. Best to seek in person exam to know exactly what your options are.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

In healthy patients, the two procedures can be performed at the same time by a surgeon who is an expert at both procedures.

Steven J. Rottman, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question. I do not think it is a good idea to have a tummy tuck and BBL at the same time. I believe you will have better results if you stage the procedures. First, do liposuction to harvest fat from the hips, flanks, thighs, and abdomen. This fat can be used for the BBL. Once you have recovered from Stage 1, a tummy tuck can be performed. Please see a board certified plastic surgeon who commonly performs these procedures. Ask to see a lot of before and after pictures of their work. Hope this helps and good luck.

Gary Lawton, MD, FACS · Answer

Certainly not at the same time.Abdominoplasty treats the skin excess and muscle weakness of the abdomen, as well as any fat that is between the belly button and the pubic hairline. Liposuction treats only fat. It can be used to thin out the abdomen, but the skin must be in good condition with no excess, and there should not be muscle weakness. I do not like to combine abdominoplasty with liposuction because of the added risks of fluid collection under the skin, VTE and wound healing problems.

Aggressive liposuction with tummy tuck is dangerous.  A full tummy tuck with liposuction at the same time will certainly put you at a high risk for fluid under the tummy tuck skin (seroma). A full tummy tuck with aggressive liposuction at the same time will also certainly put you at an unacceptably high risk for a potentially fatal pulmonary embolism (PE), venous thromboembolic event (VTE). The literature is complete with this information. The science is the science. This is a risky combination.

The incidence of seroma formation is about 16.0 percent in the abdominoplasty-alone group and 31.2 percent in the abdominoplasty with liposuction group.

The combination of abdominoplasty and liposuction procedures can still overwhelm the body's ability to resist these shear forces by the fact that more surface area is available to “shear” and thus produce seroma fluid. Not so much as an additive effect but synergistically, such that the seroma fluid from the flanks flows into the adjacent abdominal space and resists the ability of the upper abdominal flap to close over the abdominal wall. Patients must be counseled about their risk for seroma formation and treatments aimed at resolving them including frequent postoperative visits for needle drainage and the rare case requiring operative drainage in the face of a persistent seroma.

Karen Singer, MD · Answer

I concur with my colleagues that the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) should occur prior to a Tummy Tuck (TT), and should not occur during the same surgery. Seek in-person consultations only with plastic surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Best wishes.Karen Singer, M.D., P.A.Harvard GraduateBoard Certified Plastic Surgeon

Nick Masri, MD, FACS · Answer

it really depends on how much fat you have and how much fat will be needed to achieve the intended results. Obviously your present weight and body habitus has alot to do with this.

Fat may be harvested from your abdomen to deliver more volume if deficient in other areas. If this is the case then it is recommended to have the BBL first and the tummy tuck as a second stage

Also, it is important to consider the amount of down time when choosing both at same time. Functional limitations related to siting( you cannot sit on BBL for several weeks after to allow the fat grafts to take) and mobility following both procedures at the same time are factors as well.

Your plastic surgeon can elaborate on these issues further. I usually take the more conservative approach and offer them at different times. Best Wishes.

Which should come first, TT or BBL?

Answers (15)

More Tummy Tuck Questions

Returning to an office job after abdominoplasty.

Dehiscence? Or just stitch abscess? Scared! (Photo)

Does anyone ever take Lasix & K+ to assist with post op TT swelling? What if they already take it PRN for swelling?

How soon after a tummy tuck can I get a tattoo to cover the scar?

How safe is the use of mesh in tummy tuck?

Serosanguinous drainage almost a month after tummy tuck

WE SEND PRETTY
EMAILS