Is a second BBL a good idea?

Question

I had a 360 lipo BBL. It has been a roller coaster. After feeling like my butt looked almost the same it did before surgery, I was finally liking my resluts. It was after looking at pictures and people commenting that there was a big difference that i started feeling confident about it, the change was noticeable but looked natural. In the last 4-6 weeks I have noticed that my results are gone, I feel that I look the same as before surgery. What are the risks of getting a second BBL?

Ryan A. Stanton, MD · Answer

Allow me to answer your question as best i can based upon your photos. However, please keep in mind that an in-person, or at least a virtual, consultation with physical exam is first necessary before any legitimate evaluation or final surgical recommendations can be made.

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, insignificant hip augmentation, post-deflation sagging, fatty necrotic cyst or scar tissue, 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.   Beware, if a surgeon asks you to purposely gain weight (i.e. fat) before BBL, know that the fat you lose first as you get back to your baseline weight after surgery is that very same fat that was transferred into your buttock, hence your new buttock shrinks first, the fastest, and the most...so please do not fall victim to this recommendation.

Fillers, such as Sculptra and hyaluronic acids,  for augmentation of the buttock/hips are a rip-off, period!

Buttock/hip implants, however, provide a more reliable, predictable, relatively safe, and permanent result, especially for adding projection to the hips and central buttock, and often help 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.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear Fit25,
generally speaking, it is possible to get second BBL surgery once you are healed from your initial surgery. 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

Samir Hasan, MD · Answer

Many factors can impact the final result of a BBL, including individual metabolism, changes in weight, and lifestyle habits such as alcohol and nicotine consumption. However, many patients will seek a second BBL because of inadequate fat grafting to achieve their desired look, or due to fat loss which always occurs to some extent and is unpredictable. In my practice, I inform patients that if they desire additional volume or contouring following BBL, this can typically be done in-office during a Round 2 BBL procedure 3 to 6 months after the initial procedure. I recommend consulting with a board certified plastic surgeon to see if you are a good candidate.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

Without including a proper set of before, and after pictures, we can’t even begin to talk about your outcome.
If you don’t have proper before, and after pictures, then ask your surgeon to forward the pictures they took.
Your surgeon is also the correct person to talk to you about your outcome.
 In regards to having a secondary procedure you may or may not be a candidate for that.
Without pictures, we can’t begin to even think about that.
Consider reposting with a set of proper before and after pictures and talk to your surgeon about your outcome and the secondary BBL.
Your surgeon should’ve showed you lots of before and after pictures of previous patients who look like you do during the consultation.
You should’ve had a good understanding of what your results should look like based on a quality consultation.
If this didn’t happen then maybe your provider selection wasn’t sufficient.
There are a lot of variables to consider, and the whole situation is pretty complex.
I highly recommend you rely exclusively on in person consultations.
For second opinion consultations can prepare bringing with you a complete set of before and after pictures and a copy of your operative report.
These are all part of your medical record that you can request from your providers office.
 Best,
Mats Hagstrom

Is a second BBL a good idea?

Answers (4)