Butt Lift Surgery: Types & Risks

Butt lift is a surgery done to shape the buttocks through fat grafting, implants, skin removal, and liposuction. Brazilian butt lift is one of the common procedures, but there are other methods as well that may be suited to a person’s body.

People have tried various methods like diet and exercise but have been unable to change the shape and size of the buttock.⁽¹⁾ Butt lift surgery can be a technique for them. It smoothens the surface of the skin and lifts the sagging buttocks. The basic butt lift does not increase the size but improves the contour of the buttocks. For size change, one needs to go ahead with butt augmentation or Brazilian butt lift.

The Butt lift procedure involves removing the loose skin and tissue that cause sagging and giving the buttocks a round and smoother appearance.

A good individual for butt lift surgery is the one with looseness of the skin of the buttock, in good health, and with no underlying medical condition. Also, the person who does not smoke, and practices fitness and nutrition, is suitable to go ahead with the surgery.

Butt lift surgery may be of different types. Some just aim to lift the buttock while others increase the size as well.

This procedure is opted by those looking to remove unwanted sagging skin and tissue and tighten the buttock.

Sagging of buttocks can be due to age, pregnancy, genetics, and weight changes. This surgery is opted by those after weight loss as it creates a more pleasing shape and smoothens the dimpled skin. During the direct butt lift procedure, an incision is made on the upper side or the lower side of the buttock and the loose tissue is removed.

This procedure not only increases the size of the buttocks but also adds projections and improves the roundness.⁽²⁾ The silicone implants are inserted into the tissue of the buttocks. Currently, no implants have been approved by the Food and Drug Association to be used.

Brazilian butt lift is a fat grafting technique that creates size and gives shape to the buttocks.⁽²⁾ It follows liposuction in which the fat is removed from another area of the body and injected into the buttocks. A person with a good amount of fat somewhere else in the body is a good candidate for the procedure. Good skin elasticity of the buttocks and hips is necessary as this procedure does treat sagging skin.

Any type of surgery is associated with the risk of bleeding, infection, and reaction to the anesthetic. Additionally, with cosmetic procedures there is a risk of asymmetry, numbness, change in sensation, or need for revision.

In fat grafting, there is an additional risk due to liposuction, which includes:⁽³⁾

• Hematoma
• Fat necrosis
• Infection
• Abscesses
• Seromas
• Cyst
• Pneumothorax

Brazilian butt lift has the highest death rate among all types of surgeries. The biggest danger is if a piece of injected fat travels into the lungs and causes pulmonary embolism, which is the blockage of the artery carrying blood to the lungs.

The result of the butt lift surgery is immediately visible. It takes almost a year for the transferred fat to get assimilated into the body. There are chances of some changes occurring during this time. The body usually absorbs some of the transferred fat but 60-80% of it remains. Also, the weight fluctuation may change the shape of the body part.

2 weeks after the butt lift surgery, the person can sit or lie on the butt, except while using the toilet. The pain is mild and manageable with medicines. Light activity is recommended after a week of surgery and the person can return to full work after about 10-14 days.⁽⁴⁾

Butt lift surgery lifts and tightens the sagging skin of the butt and Brazilian butt lift provides volume to the butt. There are a few risks involved with the butt lift procedure like any other surgery, therefore, before going ahead with the butt lift procedure it is important to discuss the risks and expectations related to it.