What Are the Long Term Side Effects of Fat Grafting?

  Fat grafting to the buttocks is well tolerated.  Fat can die, but this not usually problematic.  Infection of a serious nature has been reported as well as fat emboli and pulmonary emboli.  Having said all of the that, I perform this procedure 4 or 5 times a day (hundreds and hundreds per year).   I have had no infections, no hematomas, no blood clots, and no reoperation for fat necrosis or dead fat.  Find the plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs the procedure all the time.

Thanks for your question. With Brazilian butt lift we transfer fat from one area of the body to the other. These fat cells are transferred in microinjections throughout multiple planes in the buttock tissue so that they can gain new blood supply and live in their new home, providing increased volume and shape to the buttocks.After surgery there is a predictable swelling process that mostly resolves over two months, when the final result really settles in.  The fat that survives is there permanently. Around 70% of fat that is grafted is typically expected to survive long term. We also put a little extra to account for loss of fat post operative, which is reabsorbed gradually by the body.

Initial fat grafting with partial fat death or necrosis is fairly well tolerated in the buttocks and elsewhere. Fat grafting can become infected , fortunately not very often, and might result in spots needing to be lanced and drained and the use of antibiotics. But this is highly uncommon.Long term effects could be partial loss of volume to the area. In breast there is can be calcification of some of the grafted fat that leads to false positive in mammagraphy that require biopsy

You are correct that some of the fat that is transferred will not survive long term.  That being said, what survives the first 6 months will survive for good.  Unlike implants there are no "long term" side effects or issues that you should worry about with Brazilian Butt Lift.

Fat grafting with the brazilian butt lift is very well tolerated. The fat has a high survival rate and the surgery has a low complication rate

Fat transfer is a much safer option than implants for gluteal augmenation. There are no long term side effects of fat transfer that have been described to date.  Infection is possible but also very uncommon.  If you do not have an infection in the early postop period, you are unlikely to have any long term issues. Best wishes.

Hello,

Thank you for the question.  Most of the potential complications of buttock fat grafting occur in the days and weeks following the procedure.  These are very rare but can include fat necrosis, seromas, infection, poor or asymmetric fat survival, and embolic events (clots).  Long term complications of buttock fat grafting are essentially related to the continuing aging process and therefore are not really complications.  An experienced board certified plastic surgeon can provide the number of cases he/she has done and the complication rate they have experienced.

All the best,

Dr Remus Repta