Is it possible that my body rejected or reabsorbed the fat? (Photos)

Question

Hi. I had a BBL on 3/25 with a good result I didn't sit, made sure to intake adequate calories and wore my compression garment faithfully, about 5 wks after my BBL results started to decrease (booty got smaller) My surgeon is willing to do a revision in six months but I don't want to go through surgery and recovery again if my body will reject the fat.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear edavis18us,
fat viability depends a lot of surgeon technique. The fat has to be placed back into the buttocks as soon as possible so that it has a greater chance of survival. It has to be placed carefully so that not too much fat is placed in only one area. In most cases, 30-50 % of transferred fat is lost in postoperative period. I suggest you to discuss your concerns with your plastic surgeon. 
Daniel Barrett, MD

Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

Your body did not reject the fat. The results you experienced are typical:  at about six weeks 50% of the fat transferred has an established blood supply and is viable.  The revision implies that there is less fat than the first time, and scar tissue will make the surgery much more difficult on the surgeon.  The percentage of fat survival in the BBL the second time should be about the same. Photos show major improvement in contours from lipo.
Kenneth Hughes, MD, ABPS Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Los Angeles, CA

Tania Medina de Garcia, MD · Answer

Hello dear!!
Thanks for the question and provided information as well. 
After a BBL, only about 70-50% of the transferred fat cells will survive, so it is normal to see a reduction in your buttocks. If you have any concerns, I suggest you to follow up close with your plastic surgeon.
Good luck :)

Alejandro Hernandez Pizzoglio, MD · Answer

Sometimes patients need  to go to another bbl for getting  better  result. Your actually result is not bad,  is going to get better  on a couple  monthsBest wishes

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

what you describe is typical. This is why fat transfer procedures are often done in an accentuated manner grafting far more fat initially then we anticipate patients having when the results become final.  Each plastic surgeon has their own way of doing this procedure including how much they feel comfortable and grafting in a single session for a variety of reasons including safety.  Your only option if you want more volume is to have the procedure done twice. The ability to do that is dependent on if you have sufficient amounts of fat to be harvested.  Based on your pictures I believe a secondary BBL would work if you would are interested.  The percentage of fat survival is highly dependent on technique.  Based on your pictures your results are fairly typical.   Some of the before and after pictures floating around the Internet are deceptive and unfortunately taken early during recovery.  Unfortunately this procedure has the greatest ability to create deceptive  images of results. Fake news?  Best, Mats Hagstrom MD

Arian Mowlavi, MD, FACS (license on probation) · Answer

It is not that your fat resorbed, rather your fat did not make the transfer process. Do not repeat the same process again. If you are a good candidate for a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL), the optimal outcomes are achieved with: 1) use of VASER liposuction to harvest the fat, 2) a closed looped system such as Puregraft to process the fat, and 3) strategic micro-packet transplant technique. These three processes have demonstrated over 95% fat graft take. This means that your results will be stable as long as you maintain your weight. As an official VASER trainer, I am routinely referred unhappy BBL patients. One of the most common reasons for disgruntled BBL patients is that patients are not able to accurately communicate their desired buttocks goals to their surgeons.  A buttocks assessment tool can be an invaluable tool to communicate to your surgeon the exact buttocks size and shape you are desiring. A Skype or Facetime consultation with a BBL specialist can help you get an accurate recommendation and pricing. 
Respectfully,
Arian Mowlavi MD,FACS
Realself 100 Hall of Fame Inductee

Is it possible that my body rejected or reabsorbed the fat? (Photos)

Answers (6)

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