December 03, 2021
There’s a ton of information out there about the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) these days. And if you’re someone who’s been interested in this procedure for quite some time now, you’ve no doubt done your research in the BBL department. You may even be at the stage where you’ve chosen your surgeon and are ready to embark on this incredible journey.
That being said, although the basic information about the BBL is more or less the same across the plastic surgery industry, the actual process from your first consultation to your recovery following surgery can differ from practice to practice. So if you’re thinking about becoming one of our new butt lift patients, we thought it might be helpful to give you a step-by-step of what to expect from your surgery at The Plastic Surgery Clinic.
The Brazilian Butt Lift is a surgery which involves removing and harvesting fat via liposuction from one area of the body—from your abdomen or thighs, for example—and methodically re-injecting that fat into target areas of the buttocks in order to give the butt a more sculpted, enhanced and curvaceous appearance.
One of the questions we get asked the most about this surgery (and it’s an important question to think about before meeting with your surgeon) is whether weight matters for the BBL. In other words, is it possible to be too thin for the procedure?
Since it’s a procedure that relies on fat to yield successful results, you do need to have some extra pockets of fat that can be harvested from other parts of your body in order to warrant performing the surgery.
That said, we always tell our patients that ideally they should be as near as possible to their goal weight and have a BMI (Body Mass Index) typically anywhere above 18.5 and below 30 before undergoing any surgery. This will ensure that you’re in the best health possible to safely undergo surgery and will minimize surgical risks.
There’s a misconception that you need to have a lot of extra fat in order to get an optimal result, but this is not the case. If you’re within a healthy BMI range you will typically have enough good fat to harvest from other areas of the body to get great results and make the procedure worth it.
Every practice runs things a little differently. At The Plastic Surgery Clinic we offer complimentary consultations as we never want our patients to feel any pressure from financial commitments to book a surgical procedure. When you come in for your consultation you’ll meet with your surgeon.
Your surgeon will take a medical history and do a physical examination in order to assess whether you’re a good candidate for the Brazilian Butt Lift.
This will also be your chance to discuss the result that you envision and your surgeon will be able to give you an idea of what you can expect from your procedure. You’ll also be able to see before and after photos of other BBL procedures your surgeon has performed.
Your consultation is really a chance for you to get to know your surgeon and ask all the questions you possibly can. You want to know that you can trust your surgeon and you want to feel comfortable with their approach. And if you need to take some time and think it over, you can always call us with your follow up questions, or meet with your surgeon again to get all of the information you need.
Once your surgery is booked, we’ll assign a surgical coordinator to you, who will be there to walk you through all the necessary steps before and after your surgery. Your surgical coordinator provides support and is always there to answer any questions that you might have. They’re there to book your appointments and make sure your file is complete.
You’ll be asked to fill out a number of required documents and medical forms, and your coordinator will also lay out what kinds of tests you’ll need done before your procedure. Your labs will be due two weeks prior to your surgery.
You’ll also be asked to choose a caregiver who will be the one to drop you off and pick you up on the day of your surgery. You’ll want to choose someone you trust and who’s responsible as they’ll also be receiving detailed care instructions for your recovery.
You’ll want to prepare to have a solid support system in place for the first week following your surgery. For this first week you really should not be doing anything but resting. If you have children, it’ll be especially important to have someone who can take care of them while you’re recovering for that first week.
The day of your surgery you’ll have a short visit with your nurses and your patient coordinator in order to discuss any last minute questions you might have. You’ll then be brought into the pre-operative room and be asked to change.
Your anesthesiologist will come and assess you and you’ll be offered some pre-operative medication, which will help you relax. You’ll also have a short visit with your surgeon who will map out the surgical approach, after which you’ll be taken to the OR and put gently to sleep.
After you wake up, you’ll feel a bit groggy, but you won’t feel pain, as your surgeon will have a pain management system in place for your needs. You’ll rest in the post-operative room until your surgeon gives you the green light to be picked up by your caregiver.
You’ll have a scheduled appointment with your surgeon the day after your surgery, who will examine you to make sure everything is ok and healing as it should. Your surgeon will send you home with post-operative instructions and guidelines that you need to follow carefully to ensure a full and speedy recovery.
You’ll need to take at least one week off of work following your BBL surgery. Some patients prefer to give themselves a longer recovery time and take two weeks off. If you’re not sure what makes the most sense for you, your surgeon can discuss all the details with you in advance. You’ll need to stay off your bum for at least two weeks following your surgery, meaning no sitting on your bum or lying flat on your back.
You’ll have quite a bit of swelling and bruising for the first couple of weeks following your surgery so your bum may actually look bigger than your final result. You’ll see a noticeable difference in your bum following your surgery, but don’t expect to see your final result right away.
In addition, not all the fat transferred via injection will survive. About 50% of the fat will be re-absorbed by your body. This is totally normal and your surgeon has accounted for this loss, but it means that what you see immediately after your surgery won’t be what you’ll see 4-6 months after your operation day.
After about two weeks following your surgery, you’ll be able to sit on your bum, but we’ll ask you not to do so for very long periods of time. This means you can sit for something more like for 30 minute intervals. After about 4-6 weeks things will normalize and you’ll be able to slowly engage in physical exercise again, though nothing too strenuous in the beginning.
Over the course of your recovery you’ll be seeing your surgeon at different stages of the process to ensure that everything is healing as it should. We’re also on call 24 hours a day if you have any questions or concerns about your recovery.
Most patients are thrilled with their Brazilian Butt Lift results and couldn’t be happier after the procedure. If you’re thinking about having a BBL at The Plastic Surgery Clinic don’t hesitate to contact us to book your complimentary consultation or to ask us any questions that you have. We can’t wait to join you on this incredible, transformative journey.
Did we answer all your questions? Our goal is to ensure you have the best information possible to make your decision. If you still have questions, we’re here to help.
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