What are the potential risks of having a Brazilian Butt Lift?

Hi there- I agree that the risks of a Brazilian Butt Lift are generally those of liposuction (because liposuction is 1/2 of the operation), with the additional risks of fat necrosis (formation of lumps in the buttocks). All in all, however, the procedure should carry a very favorable risk to benefit ratio when performed by a qualified and experienced surgeon. Make sure you find a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and he/she has experience performing the procedure you are interested in, as well as any procedures that may be necessary if results aren't excellent.

The Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) procedure carries several potential risks. Some of the most significant include fat embolism, where fat enters the bloodstream and can block the lungs, causing life-threatening complications. Other risks include blood clots, cardiac complications, infection, nerve damage leading to numbness or tingling, bruising, skin discoloration, swelling, poor wound healing, scarring, and asymmetrical results. It is essential to consult with an experienced surgeon to minimize these risks, as they can often be reduced with the proper technique and post-operative care, such as wearing a compression garment and avoiding direct contact with the buttocks during recovery.
Additionally, the risks related to liposuction—used in BBL to harvest fat—also apply, such as contour irregularities, seroma, or excessive blood loss. Fat necrosis (the death of fat cells), lumpiness, or firmness in the injected area is another concern. It's important to have a thorough discussion with your surgeon to understand all potential risks and ensure you are prepared. Working with an experienced surgeon who understands the complexities of BBL can help mitigate many of these risks, ensuring the safest outcome possible.
Krishna Vyas, MD, PhD, MHSHarvard, Hopkins, & Mayo Clinic Trained Aesthetic Plastic SurgeonNew York, New York

Thanks for your question.

While being a safer butt augmentation option, there are still risks to consider with the Brazilian Butt Lift. Some risks include infection, discomfort, asymmetry, hematoma, and excessive blood loss. This is why it is so important to select a board certified plastic surgeon with a high level of experience, artistry and technical skill.

Please always consult a board certified plastic surgeon.

Take care,

Moises Salama M.D. Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

While a Brazilian Butt Lift is generally a safe procedure it has the same risks as liposuction with the added risk of fat necrosis.

BBL is a very popular procedure and with it comes plenty of risks. All of the risks associated with liposuction apply. These include contour irregularities, color variation, embolism of fat, seroma, infection etc. The risks that apply to the BBL portion include asymmetry, contour deformity, dissatisfaction with cosmetic results, fat embolism, DVT, infection and fat necrosis are the most common complications. Be sure to find a board-certified plastic surgeon you trust and good luck to you.

The risks associated with a BBL are much lower than other buttock augmentation procedures. As you probably know, excess fat is liposuctioned from various parts of the body and then transferred into the buttocks to enhance their shape and size. Because of the liposuction that is done for this procedure, not only are the buttocks enhanced, but the overall contour and shape of the body is also improved creating a more sculpted body that additionally enhances the appearance of the buttocks. One of the most important aspects of this procedure is being proactive during pre op and recovery time with antibiotics. Keeping incisions clean and dry and follow your post op instructions.Best of luck!

Generally speaking a Brazilian butt lift is a very safe procedure. The complications are not volume related. The most common complications are swelling and bruising which resolve over the first month. Also, you can expect to lose 30 to 50% of the fat injected. 
If the fat is not correctly injected some of it can die and you may feel lumps, this is called fatty necrosis. Fluid collections or seromas can occur if there is too much undermining. These complications depend on the surgeon's technique and can be completely avoided. 
The most dreaded complication is a fat embolism which occurs in less than .1% of the cases. This convocation can be completely avoided by your surgeon by not injecting into the muscle layer and using a large blunt cannula. #StayBeautiful @RealDrWorldWide

Thank you for your question. The question is how safe is this procedure and what are the complications. Every type of surgery has associated risks and complications. The complication rates are very low. Overall, the procedure is safe and effective. Please do your research and find a board certified plastic surgeon with many years of experience.Hope this helps,Dr. Newall 

Any surgical procedure does come along with the potential for complications. When performing elective cosmetic surgery we try to control as many risks as possible to protect our patients, but some things are not under our direct control.  In order to go into a surgery properly prepared the patient needs to understand these risks. At every consult I go through a list of different possibilities, as I will outline below.





·      Bleeding - Excess bleeding at the time of surgery or after surgery can cause life-threatening situations or necessitate additional surgery to stop the bleeding. It also can spoil our results. To prevent excess bleeding we have patients stop any medications that thin the blood (and there are a lot of them) and minimize their activity in the early postoperative period. (i.e.: picking up something heavy post op can increase pressure in a wound and start something bleeding or tear stitches.)





·      Blood clots - Pulmonary emboli – blood clots in the legs that move to the heart or lungs can actually result in death! There are very specific risk factors for blood clots and we go through a check list with patients before surgery….if they have enough risks to be high risk, we have to take extra precautions such as using a short acting blood thinner (Lovenox and Heparin) around the time of surgery. This does increase the risk of bleeding, but can prevent death. We do not use that on everyone, but if the probability is high enough, it is worth the added bleeding risk to keep you healthy. Also, everyone gets compressive stockings or T.E.D. hose for surgery, and we get you up walking (to stimulate the circulation) and prevent clotting.





·      Infection - Infections can happen after any surgery. Bacteria are everywhere – on our skin, our clothes, up our noses and under fingernails. To prevent bacteria from getting into the wrong places we use very careful sterile technique in surgery. We also give everyone antibiotics at the beginning of surgery through the intravenous line, and then antibiotic pills for 24 hour after surgery. There are national recommendations about which antibiotics to use and for how long and we follow those with everyone.



 



·      Sensation changes - Any area that is operated on will swell and swelling can cause nerves to stop functioning or function poorly. Sometimes nerves even have to be cut in the course of the surgery. This results in numbness, which is usually temporary, but could in some cases remain permanently. Patients just need to be aware of this before surgery because there is no remedy if sensation or nerve function does not come back on its own. (Sometimes this is the price you pay for beauty!)



 



·      Poor wound healing/scarring - Wounds are closed nicely at the time of surgery, but if the stitches pop, the scar can widen or look bad. Thankfully the incisions for a BBL are very small, but there is still potential for scarring.



 



·      Contour irregularities - When we move fat from one area to another there is the potential to have some asymmetry either of the fullness or indentation of regions from one side to the other, or of irregularity of the smoothness of an area. We try to remove tissue evenly in the areas we suction, and inject fat in similar volumes from side to side and region to region, but not all of the fat survives. Things like excessive pressure from sitting too long, or lying on one side more than the other can kill fat cells and cause irregularities. Your surgeon will have very specific instructions on activity level, position to sleep in, and compression garments. Follow his/her instructions for the best results!



 



·      Fat embolism - There is potential for the fat that is injected to get into the blood stream and travel to other organs (lungs, brain, etc.) where it doesn’t belong and cause dire consequences. This is more likely to happen if fat is injected into muscle and very unlikely if it goes into fat. Talk to your surgeon about the technique he/she uses.



 



I know these sound like nasty/scary issues but if you go into surgery prepared and aware, complications are much less likely to occur or get out of hand.

Thank you for your question. I'm glad that you ask as it's very important to understand the risks associated with any medical procedure.A Brazilian butt lift combines liposuction and injecting fat into the buttocks.Risks of liposuction include under- or over-correction, contour irregularities, and infection. Injection of fat into the buttocks can be associated with bleeding, infection, embolism of fat into the lungs. Thankfully these complications are rare, but it's important to understand that these complications do occur. Make sure to have your procedures performed by board-certified plastic surgeons.

Hello and Great Question.  I appreciate the time you are spending researching this procedure.  My name is Dr. Matthew J. Nykiel.  I am a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, a Fellowship Trained Cosmetic Surgeon, and a Butt Augmentation Specialist.

Everything in life has risk i.e. crossing a street has a risk of getting hit by a car, driving on the highway has a risk of getting hit by a vehicle,flying in plane etc., and surgery is not different.  

RISK OF LIPOSUCTION VS RISK OF FAT TRANSFER:  A Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) is two procedures and has two type of risks:  risks from liposuction & risks from Fat Transfer.

COMMON VS UNCOMMON RISKS:  There are multiple ways to look at risks; I usually like to present risks as more likely or less likely.  Anytime material risks & complications are discussed we need to discuss common complications and not common complications.  Luckily, the common complications are minor!  The below risks are not an all inclusive, the list covers most .

SPECIFIC RISKS OF LIPOSUCTION:  An Article from 06/2015 Reviewed 4,534 patients (by Board Certified Plastic Surgeons)Overall Risk of Complication fro Liposuction 1.5%Fluid Collection (Seroma):  0.9%Bleeding (Hematoma):  0.1%Infection:  0.2%DVT (Blood Clot Vein):  0.1%Bleeding (Blood Transfusion):  0.1%Hospital/ER Admission/Visit:  0.2%Neurologic (Nerves/Brain):  0.1%Respiratory (Lungs) Injury:  0.1%Renal (Kidney) and GU Injury: 0.1%

SPECIFIC RISKS OF FAT TRANSFER:A recent article (04/16) discussed complications from a Butt Fat Transfer (by Board Certified Plastic Surgeon).Overall Risk of Complication from Fat Transfer 9.9%Fluid Collection (Seroma):   3.5%Under-Correction (Not Enough Shape/Roundness/Projection):  2.19%Infection:  1.96%Sciatica (Nerve Pain):  1.68%Lopo-Necrosis (Failure of Fat Grafted to Survive and/or Hardness of Fat Transferred):  0.56%Fat Embolism (Death):  0.08%Best of Luck!  Please reach out if you have any further questions or concerns.



Matthew J. Nykiel, MD#TopREALSELFDoctor#CoreREALSELFDoctorButt Augmentation SpecialistLiposuction SpecialistBoard Certified Plastic Surgeon