Combo Procedure - Tummy Tuck with Fat Injections to Buttocks

Brazilian Butt Lift and Tummy Tuck Combination
Yes it is possible for a healthy woman to get a Tummy Tuck and Brazilian Butt Lift. In fact for women that are relatively thin, the lower tummy fat that would be discarded may be an important site to harvest the amount of fat needed for transfer to the buttocks.

 I would consider  one surgery in many ways makes sense as liposuction is often done at the same time as abdominoplasty and the fat harvested is best used right away for the Brazilian Butt Lift.  To minimize anesthesia and surgical time but not your results I also use a second surgical assistant (surgeon, PA, or RNFA) to decrease total OR time. It is important to  go over the increased risks associated with combining procedures and make sure they have a complete informed consent prior to doing it in one stage and take special measures to prevent venous clots. It would be important for you to discuss this with a board certified plastic surgeon by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

You can have a tummy tuck at the same time as a fat transfer to the buttock or they can be staged- this should be discussed thoroughly with your surgeon.  First of all, you need to be in good overall health and need to have medical clearance by your primary care physician prior to any combination surgery.  As far as the fat transfer is concerned, it's important that you avoid sitting on your buttock area after the surgery for at least two weeks to minimize trauma to the newly transplanted fat cells.  This can sometimes be difficult in conjunction with a tummy tuck from a position standpoint-patients then need to ideally be on their side for sleeping. Adjustments can be made while sitting by using pillows placed under the back of the thigh to reduce the direct trauma placed on the fat cells.  

Another factor to consider is that if you do a tummy tuck without the fat transfer, the fat from the abdomen will be discarded and you then have "lost out" on the opportunity to use that important tissue for the buttock augmentation in the future.

Please consult with a board certified plastic surgeon prior to scheduling this combination of surgeries.

Best wishes,

Dr. Bruno

The combination of tummy tuck and buttock augmentation has the advantage of a one stage procedure and makes use of fat which would normally be discarded. The problem is that during the recovery period for the tummy tuck you are not able to keep your weight off of your buttocks. Pressure on the fat grafts results in less of it lasting. For this reason, I generally advise doing it in 2 steps if possible. I will do both of the procedures in one stage if a small buttock augmentation is required, but I do let may patients know that they may need a second procedure if additional fat is required.

Best regards, Andrew Lyos MD, FACS

Just because you can does not mean you should.  Think about it you are going to have 3 procedures (liposuction, tummy tuck, and fat transfer).  The liposuction in fat grafting is much more aggressive so that you can achieve some improvement in the waist but more importantly to get fat.  Aggressive liposuction in the face of tummy tuck can lead to wound healing problems with the tummy tuck incision. After surgery you have contrasting ways how you need to care for the tummy tuck and fat grafting to buttocks (i.e. you can't sit for grafting and lay flat on your belly for tummy tuck).  You can rest on your side if you had both but that is the only position that works.

I would do the lipo and fat transfer first and 6 months later perform your tummy tuck.

Have several consults with board certified plastic surgeons.

Dr. ES

Its possible and safe to do both, and I like being able to get a lot of fat from the tummy skin we will discard.  But lying on your back the first week probably decreases the amount of fat you will eventually keep in the buttocks.  I advise my patients that a follow up grafting procedure may be needed. 

I feel I get the best results this way.

While it is technically possible to combine both a tummy tuck and buttocks fat injections, it may be best to separate the procedure into two different operations.  The order is really up to you.  If you have do not have a lot of fat available for the transfer, then doing the fat harvesting first (using your abdominal flap fat) may be best to maximize the amount of fat.  If you do the tummy tuck first, then you may be able to fine tune your abdominoplasty when you have the fat grafting - you could have additional liposuction to the remaining abdominal flap if needed.

Good luck with your procedure.

slfree66,

To answer your question, yes, it is safe to combine various procedures.  HOWEVER, I never do these two procedure together not because it's dangerous, but because the post-operative recovery protocol and positioning after a tummy tuck complicates the positioning after a butt fat grafting.

After a tummy tuck I want my patients flexed at the hips, with a sitting position being ideal.

After fat grafting to the butt, I don't want my patients sitting and I ask them sleep on their stomach.

Thus doing one prevents the proper recover from the other.

I normally perform the butt fat grafting first, and then 3 months later do the tummy tuck.

Sincerely,

Martin Jugenburg, MD

The tricky part of your question isn't whether it is safe to combine the two procedures, since doing lipo along with a tummy tuck has been documented to be a safe if done in an accredited facility by a qualified plastic surgeon. You correctly focus on the recovery, which can be a bit tricky with a procedure on the front and the back at the same time. Generally after fat transfer to the buttock area you should be either up walking or laying down for a few days anyway, which is not a lot different from tummy tuck.

This combination of procedures can be done together. There are some concerns about compromising vascularity of the fat grafts because most patients tend to remain supine, which can place pressure on the recipient sites.

For buttock augmentation using fat, I restrict my patients from lying in bed on their backs and sitting for several days after the procedure. You are going to want to do both after a tummy tuck- I believe you recovery will be compromised with this combination surgery. I personally would not offer the two procedures together. Other combo surgeries work well- tummy tuck and breast work, liposuction and buttock augmentation- but not this one.