Is a Brazilian Butt Lift Safe?

A Brazilian butt lift is a popular cosmetic procedure that uses fat to transfer it to your buttocks. It can give you the appearance of a round, sculpted bottom, which is considered very popular by modern aesthetic standards.

But some people have concerns about the safety of this procedure, largely based on outdated information. Today, it’s a lot safer for many reasons. The specialists at Advanced Plastic Surgery Center explain more about ensuring that the Brazilian butt lift is a safe procedure.

What is a Brazilian butt lift?

Genetics determine the shape of your buttocks. You can do exercises like squats and lunges to build up your buttocks, but the shape of your buttocks likely won’t change. A Brazilian butt lift will give you what nature did not.

You get liposuction first, and then the fat is transferred to your buttocks. Of people who have had the procedure done, 86 percent of the respondents at the cosmetic procedure site RealSelf.com said it was “worth it.” But those results are largely determined by the quality of the providers you choose.

The safety concerns about the procedure

Brazilian butt lifts have some history of safety concerns. According to the NYTimes,

the procedure has the highest mortality rate of any form of cosmetic surgery. But this scary statistic is not as bad as it sounds on the surface.

For one thing, this includes patients (mostly women) who travel to other countries like Turkey or countries in South America to have the procedure done. Having the procedure done by board-certified plastic surgeons in the U.S. automatically makes it safer.

Another factor is that the buttocks are an inherently risky surgery site because the buttocks have a lot of blood vessels, including the inferior vena cava, which goes all the way to your heart. 

When the cannula–a long, straw-like object–inserts the fat removed by liposuction back into your buttocks, an untrained surgeon can easily mess up. A mistake can result in you getting a fat embolism in your heart or lungs, which can result in immediate death.

How to get a safer Brazilian butt lift

In 2018, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, formed a task force to establish safer gluteal fat transfer procedures.

When your surgeon follows the new guidelines, they use a larger cannula and don’t inject directly into the muscle. This makes the Brazilian butt lift much safer and avoids the risks associated with the procedure.

This is one strong example of why choosing a board-certified surgeon is crucial. You may save some money if you go to a surgeon who advertises lower prices, but it comes with considerable risk.

Board-certified surgeons like the providers at Advanced Plastic Surgery Center are trained to maintain intense focus and concentration to ensure a good result.

At the same time, you will have a consultation before the procedure to establish your expectations of what the Brazilian butt lift can do for you. While we can remove fat from parts of your body like your stomach or love handles, it may not be possible to create truly rounded buttocks if your shape doesn’t allow for it.

If you want shapely, aesthetically pleasing buttocks, it may be possible to attain them with a Brazilian butt lift. Contact us to schedule a consultation with the specialists at Advanced Plastic Surgery Center or request an appointment online.