Large, round buttocks have become quite the rage.  While we may not really know they’ve had it done, the back ends of celebrities like Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, and Nicki Minaj have certainly increased in size over a few years, and people have noticed.   People refer to this type of buttock enlargement as a Brazilian butt lift.  It’s worth knowing about.

A Brazilian butt lift uses your own fat to shape, contour, and add volume to your buttocks.   Using liposuction fat is removed from your abdomen, flanks, thighs…just about anywhere.  Instead of throwing the fat away, the fat is injected strategically into the buttocks to shape and enlarge specific areas.  Let’s take a closer look at a few of the basics of this procedure.

How is Brazilian butt lift surgery performed?

Just like you see on television, on the day of surgery I mark the areas the fat will be removed from and the areas where the fat will be injected.   The surgery is performed at a hospital or outpatient surgery center.   I do the procedure with the patient completely asleep (general anesthesia).  In my opinion, this allows the procedure to move along more quickly, allowing me to be a little more aggressive with the suctioning and allows the patient to be more comfortable.  Fat is removed using liposuction equipment and is collected in canisters.   Some of the fatty oils and blood are removed, then the fat injection begins.   There are a few key elements to the injection.  Most importantly, we want to inject the fat in the existing buttock fatty tissue, avoiding injecting into the buttock muscles.  All of this is done through small poke hole incisions; there are no long scars.

What is recovery after Brazilian butt lift surgery like?

Recovery after surgery is not usually very painful.  However, it is a bit inconvenient.  To help improve survival of the injected fat, it’s best to keep pressure off of the buttocks.  Ideally, a Brazilian butt lift patient does not sit on the buttocks for a few weeks, other than going to the bathroom.  That’s obviously a little tricky, but it helps.  Compression garments are worn on the areas from which the fat was taken.  One of the great things about this surgery is that, not only are the buttocks enhanced, but you get a new shape in the areas where the fat was taken from.  Compression garments help minimize swelling and enhance the shaping of those areas.

To help make your recovery more comfortable and easier, consider picking up the following:

• A boppy pillow (breastfeeding pillow):  These types of pillows help reduce the pressure when you are sitting down and are used as support when you are lying on your side.
• Nutritional Shakes:   You need to have good nutrition before and after surgery to heal well.  Nutritional supplements and shakes may help with this.   Filled with vitamins and minerals, these shakes may help you feel better and recover faster.
• Band-Aids:  There are several small poke holes to cover.  Sometimes the incisions leak a little fluid for a few days, so it’s nice to have spare Band-Aids around.

If you’ve been thinking about butt augmentation, contact our Fort Worth office by calling (817) 335-5200.