March 09, 2021
Sometimes your surgical result may not be what you imagined. That’s one of the risks associated with any surgery and this can be due to a number of factors. Sometimes your body just doesn’t respond to the procedure as expected or doesn’t heal as it should.
Another reason you may not have gotten the correct result could be because you went to a surgeon lacking expertise in the particular surgery you were seeking. That’s one reason why we always put a lot of emphasis on doing a lot of research, asking a lot of questions, and getting a second, third, or even fourth opinion, if necessary, before you commit to any surgeon.
Here’s the thing: revision surgery is possible with most surgeries, but it’s always more difficult than the first surgery and carries more risks. That’s why we can’t stress enough how important it is to do everything in your power to set yourself up to achieve your goals prior to your first surgery, including choosing the best, most experienced surgeon possible in order to avoid any post-operative complications.
But, sometimes unforeseen things happen! And if you’ve had a Brazilian butt lift (BBL), and you’re not happy with your result, here are some things to consider before a revision butt lift.
Yes, you can certainly do a revision Brazilian butt lift. What’s important to keep in mind, however, is that the biggest issue with revision BBL is that many patients run out of fat in their primary procedure, so there needs to be enough fat left behind to liposuction to undergo a secondary procedure. For minor touch ups you don’t need much fat, but for a more involved procedure, you would need a substantial amount of fat to harvest again.
That said, most surgeons will not perform a revision butt lift before six months and, in most cases, even before a full year has passed since your initial surgery. This is because, like with any surgery but especially with the Brazilian butt lift, healing and recovery take a long time. Even though you may think you have recovered after a couple of months because you’ve gone back to work and gotten back to most of your activities, your body is still recovering, changing, and adjusting to your operation.
With fat grafting in particular, where fat is taken from one area of the body, harvested, and then reinjected into target areas of the buttocks, it takes the fat approximately one year to adapt and survive in its new location in the body. So you really won’t know what your final result will be until the one year mark.
Additionally, if you are considering a revision butt lift, most surgeons will want to make sure that all swelling has subsided and that scar tissue has healed and softened. The more time you allow yourself to heal, the more likely many issues actually resolve on their own.
A good example of this is following a Brazilian butt lift, there is always a percentage of transferred fat that won’t survive—this is normal, and most surgeons will account for this loss. When the fat dies, however, it can cause something called fat necrosis, which is the formation of a firm nodule or lump underneath the skin. This can sometimes become uncomfortable or painful, in which case it will need to be removed, but in most cases if you give your body a sufficient amount of time, it will soften and resolve on its own with no need for any further intervention.
Though exceedingly rare in the hands of a skilled surgeon, there are a number of reasons for which you might be seeking out a revision Brazilian butt lift. Shape issues and under correction are probably the two main issues leading to revisions, but there are limits to how much fat the skin envelope of the buttocks will allow, and that is different for each individual. There can be contour irregularities, like lumps or rippling of the skin, or asymmetries created by the way that the fat survived or didn’t in the areas in question. You may be unhappy around how you healed. Scar tissue, cysts, and seromas, are other reasons you might seek out a revision butt lift.
As was mentioned before we typically don’t recommend any revision surgery before approximately one year from your initial surgery. We also recommend that you see the surgeon who performed your initial surgery for your revision before you decide to see someone else, as they will know the details of your case best. It’s always more difficult for a surgeon to correct another surgeon’s work.
This really depends on what you’re having corrected. If it’s something minimal, in some cases these corrections can be performed under local anesthetic and fairly quickly. But typically a revision Brazilian butt lift is performed under general anesthesia and takes longer than the initial surgery, just because a lot more care and precision needs to be taken to avoid injury and damage, particularly if liposuction is being done to the same area as in the previous surgery.
If areas of your buttocks are being injected with fat again in order to correct any asymmetries or contour irregularities your surgeon will likely also use special layering and massaging techniques in order to ensure that the fat is absorbed correctly and that everything is even and smooth.
You can expect a similar recovery to you first surgery. You’ll need to take at least one week off work and avoid putting any pressure on your bum for at least two weeks, so no sitting or lying flat on your back. After this you’ll need to avoid sitting on your bum for long periods of time. Again, it will take approximately six months to really see the final results of your revision butt lift.
Whether a revision butt lift is worth it or not is really dependent on what it is you are seeking to correct. Some issues really need to be corrected and some are less urgent. There is always more risk with a revision surgery. You have to be prepared for the fact that you still might not be satisfied with your final result and your surgeon will have a harder to time guaranteeing a satisfactory result especially if your previous surgery was done with someone else.
That said, if you are having your revision butt lift performed by a different surgeon from your initial surgery, be sure to go to a board certified plastic surgeon with a lot of experience and expertise with Brazilian butt lift surgery.
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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