Brazilian butt lift is a type of buttock augmentation procedure that uses your own body fat to enhance your buttocks. Unlike the butt implant surgery that primarily increases the size of your butt, the Brazilian butt lift not only adds projection to the buttocks but also makes them shapelier, rounder, and perkier. If you are looking beyond just bigger booties, this procedure is for you.
However, in order to qualify for the Brazilian butt lift, you need to have excess, unwanted fat in your body. The surgery uses the excess fat as donor fat to enhance your buttocks. The common fat donor regions include the abdomen, thighs, sides, flanks, and upper body. Liposuction is used to remove the fat cells from these areas. The fat cells are then grafted inside the buttocks after running it through a purification process.
One of the common questions asked by Brazilian butt lift patients is, “How long will the fats grafts last?” There are many patients who think that the fat grafts are not permanent and that they will be required to undergo a revision surgery in the future. Whether you will require touch-up fat injections in the future depends on a number of factors; however, if the initial surgery has been properly performed and you maintain a stable weight after the surgery, the fat grafts will be permanent. Let’s discuss it below in detail.
Fat Harvesting
The fat grafting is a very important step in the Brazilian butt lift. As to how long the fat grafts will last also depends on the procedure to a greater extent. If a high-pressure suction is applied, there is a high probability that a good portion of the fat cells will be damaged or killed. As a result, the fat grafts will not last long.
In order to prolong the life of the fat grafts, it is important for the plastic surgeon to use the “manual syringe technique” or the low-pressure suction pump because they apply lower force on the fat cells. It is of most importance to make sure that the fat cells are healthy and in good shape right from the start.
The advantages of using a powerful suction machine are that the procedure is completed quickly, requires less surgical effort, and that the surgeon’s time is not wasted. However, the results are worse and unsustainable. You should make sure to discuss with your surgeon the technique he/she plans to use for fat harvesting. Always avoid high-pressure suction pump.
Fat Processing and Purification
The next important factor that defines how long the fat grafts will last is the fat processing and purification process. Once the fat cells are removed from your body, they are run through a sophisticated purification process. If the fat processing is done improperly, chances are, the fat graft will not be permanent or it may not last long.
It is important for the surgeon to leave the fat in a cool atmosphere after removing it from your body. This helps decrease the fat metabolism process and helps the liquids isolate from the fat. In the second step, the fat is placed into smaller syringes and left in a centrifuge, which functions long enough to separate the damaged and poor-quality fat cells from the fluids of the healthy and high-quality fat cells.
The best quality fat cells are then picked up through a decanting process. It is important to make sure each fat cell is 100% healthy and alive. Your surgeon must also make sure there are no pollutants in them that may disrupt the tissues in the fat recipient sites. The doctor should be sure that the recipient tissue in the butt is feasible to accommodate the live fat cells because even a small inflammation may destroy the healthy fat grafts. If these protocols are followed, you can expect the fat grafts to be permanent.
Fat Grafting
During the fat grafting process, the fat cells are transferred to the buttocks. The fat graft should be considered as a weak and sensitive seed that has to be rooted in the soil. However, the difference is that instead of the roots growing from the graft, the vascular tissues from the surrounding tissue have to attach with the fat cells as root over time.
In case the surgeon ends up grafting a dense percentage of the fat cells, the ones in the middle of the portion will not survive because the blood vessels may not attach to them and supply nutrients to them on time. This is the reason why it is advised that the fat cells be grafted with the help of special needles in tiny amounts. This can be a daunting task for the plastic surgeon; however, the permanence and life of the fat grafts highly depends on this process.
Post-surgery Care and Weight Stability
After the Brazilian butt lift surgery, you would be advised to avoid sitting for 3-4 weeks. This is very important in prolonging the life of the fat grafts. Remember, the fat grafts are weak seedlings that need time to get a vascular connection and blood supply. The fat cells do not get enough blood supply immediately after the procedure. Your body requires at least 3-4 weeks establishing the blood supply to the fat cells. Sitting before the required healing time will damage the fat grafts because they are weaker without blood supply.
You should be sure to keep your butt away from any kind of pressure during the recovery period. Also, weight loss in the future may lead to loss of the fat cells. You should make sure to maintain a stable weight after the surgery so that the fat grafts can survive longer.
Conclusion
Brazilian butt lift is an effective procedure to achieve bigger, sexier, and shapelier butts. The procedure uses your own body fats to enhance your buttock. To make sure that the fat grafts last longer, you should have the procedure performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon. Also, the factors explained above will determine how long the fat grafts will survive and work for you.