Fat Extraction and Processing
A Brazilian Butt Lift is performed in two stages. In the first stage, liposuction is performed to remove fat cells to create more volume in the buttocks. In the last stage, the fat cells are injected back into the body.
Liposuction is performed using a cannula and a suction device that is inserted under the skin to remove fat cells from the body. A cannula is a small, hollow tube that is inserted through tiny incisions in the targeted area. During a Brazilian Butt Lift, the areas or areas that are targeted for liposuction on the body will vary depending on the patient’s fat distribution. Some patients may have excess fat in the abdomen while others may prefer to remove fat from their inner thighs or upper arms. Excess fat can be harvested from several different locations on the body, but your surgeon will recommend the best strategy for harvesting fat cells in order to optimize the number of cells that will transplant successfully.
Your surgeon will begin the fat extraction process on the day of your procedure by having you stand in a hospital gown while he marks the areas on your body to be targeted using liposuction. Some patients may have two or three targeted areas of the body. Once these areas have been properly marked you’ll be placed on a bed and sedated and receive local or general anesthesia (depending on your doctor’s advice). After the target areas have been thoroughly numbed, your doctor will begin making tiny incisions where he/she will insert the cannula.
As fat cells are being extracted from the body, they will be stored in a special container. After your doctor has extracted the appropriate amount of fat, he/she will use a special process of purification to remove the healthiest cells and fortify them for survival during transplantation. Each surgeon has a unique way of purifying fat cells to achieve the best results. Typically, doctors will use approximately 25% of the harvested fat cells for the butt lift procedure.
After the purification process is complete, you’ll move into position for the final phase of the procedure.
Fat Injection into the Buttocks
Specialized cannulas are used to inject fat cells into the buttocks after they have been harvested and purified. Your surgeon will make hundreds of injections into the buttocks to create a very uniform and smooth appearance. During each injection, only a tiny amount of fat is inserted under the skin. Doctors use specialized injection methods to achieve appealing results. This phase of the surgery takes time and patience for the cosmetic surgeon.
Most patients receive between 500 cc’s and 750 cc’s total during a Brazilian Butt Lift procedure, but some patients with a more generous distribution of fat may receive up to 1000 cc’s. Your surgeon will decide on the right amount, based on your goals and what would give you the most desirable appearance.
BBL Compared to Butt implants
Butt implants are prosthetic devices that can be inserted into the butt cheeks to add more volume to the buttocks. The size, texture, and shape of the implants vary and they’re comparable in many ways to breast implants. The most popular butt implants are made of solid silicone. A butt implant procedure is simpler than the procedure that leads to a BBL, but the results are not as natural-looking and patients also don’t get to benefit from the liposuction and body-shaping offered during a Brazilian Butt Lift. And with implants patients also must deal with the risk of prosthetic rupture and the knowledge that the implants will have to be replaced within 8 to 12 years after the initial procedure.
