What Is a Brazilian Butt Lift

According to the task force, the cause of death after Brazilian butt lift surgery was almost always a fat embolism. The warning also noted that fat embolisms occurred with injury to the gluteal veins.

What Is Brazilian Butt Lift Surgery, and Why Is It So Risky?

The trendy plastic surgery option may be riskier than you think.

Medically reviewed by

Maria M. LoTempio, MD, is a plastic surgeon with a private practice in New York City for women and performs cosmetic surgery with the American British Surgical and Medical Centre in the UAE.

Some people will go to great lengths to reach their ideal face or body. Body dysphoria—appearance disappointment—may lead some people to add a touch here and snip a bit there. An example of one of those surgeries is a Brazilian butt lift, commonly known as a BBL.

Buttock surgeries were the fastest-growing cosmetic surgery procedures in 2019. And there have been plenty of examples on TikTok of people showing off the results of their Brazilian butt lifts.

But what isn’t so often shared is that a Brazilian butt lift can lead to serious life-threatening complications. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), a Brazilian butt lift is one of the riskiest cosmetic procedures .

Patients, too, are unhappy with the care they receive during those brief interactions with their doctors. Healthcare communications company West Corporation reported that 25% of patients don’t feel that their provider cares about them as an individual and nearly 20% aren’t convinced their doctor is focused on improving their health – even though 93% of doctors strongly agree that patient satisfaction is important.

If you’re considering a Brazilian butt lift, here’s what you should know about how surgeons perform the procedure, potential risks and complications, and costs.

What Is Brazilian Butt Lift Surgery?

Brazilian butt lift surgery is known as “gluteal augmentation” or “gluteal enhancement” with fat grafting, per a study published in 2022 in Cureus.

The procedure contours, resizes, or reshapes the buttocks, Alexis Parcells, MD, plastic surgeon, owner of Parcells Plastic Surgery in New Jersey, and founder of SUNNIE Wrinkle Reducing Studio, told Health.

Brazilian butt lift surgery can also slim out other parts of your body in the process.

What Happens During a Brazilian Butt Lift Procedure?

The fat-grafting surgery starts with liposuction. Liposuction removes fat from your stomach, thighs, or back, Stafford Broumand, MD, a plastic surgeon at 740 Park Plastic Surgery in New York, told Health.

The surgeon will then “transfer the fat to the rear to create a fuller and curvier shape,” explained Dr. Stafford Broumand.

To be clear, a Brazilian butt lift isn’t the same as getting butt implants. Butt implants are silicone implants surgically placed into the tissue of the buttocks. Also, the butt isn’t actually “lifted,” as the name suggests.

How Much Does a Brazilian Butt Lift Cost?

The average cost of gluteal augmentation with grafting is about $4,800. However, costs can vary widely.

Saul Lahijani, MD, a lead plastic surgeon at the Beverly Hills Institute of Plastic Surgery, told Health that surgery could range from $15,000 to $25,000. What’s more, those costs are out-of-pocket, meaning your health insurance does not cover them.

Buttock enhancement costs can also go beyond the surgeon’s fee, hospital or surgical facility costs, and anesthesia. Other expenses can include:

• Prescription medication
• Post-surgery garments
• Any special pillows that may be required for your recovery
• Medical tests

Are Brazilian Butt Lifts Safe?

The risks of Brazilian butt lifts are so high that a task force—including organizations such as the ASPS, the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery—issued an urgent warning to surgeons in 2018. The warning alerted surgeons about the alarmingly high number of deaths from the procedure.

The task force advised surgeons to warn their patients about the severe risks of Brazilian butt lifts, including the risk of death, and to let people know about alternative options. The warning also called for developing more specific technical safety guidelines for surgeons.

Also, some people travel abroad to get Brazilian butt lifts at lower costs, which can mean less regulation and an even higher risk of complications.

Also, the riskiness of Brazilian butt lift surgery depends on how much fat you have transferred, according to Dr. Stafford Broumand.

“The risk increases as the volumes of fat transferred to the buttocks increases,” explained Dr. Stafford Broumand. “When too much fat is transferred, there is a myriad of issues that arise.”

Risks and Complications of Brazilian Butt Lifts

“Plastic surgery, in general, is safe. And the complication rate and morbidity rate is very low,” Dr. Stafford Broumand said. “However, with this type of plastic surgery, the morbidity and complication rate is high for an elective cosmetic procedure.”

Some evidence suggests that the complication rate is around 7% to 10%, with serious complications occurring in less than 1% of cases, according to an article published in 2020 in Seminars in Plastic Surgery.

The 2018 task force found that the death rate was about 1 in 3,000 surgeries, which is more significant than any other cosmetic procedure.

Why is the mortality rate high?

“It is because of the placement of the fat,” responded Dr. Saul Lahijani. “Liposuction has been going on for 35 to 40 years, but the addition of the placement of the fat in the buttock is what makes it high-risk.”

Brazilian butt lift risks can include the following:

• Fat embolism: This may occur if your surgeon mistakenly injects fat directly into the veins in your butt instead of under your skin. In turn, the fat goes into your bloodstream and lungs, explained Dr. Saul Lahijani. From there, it can form a blockage and possibly become fatal.
• Blood clots: These clumps of blood may cause life-threatening blockages of blood flow to the heart or lungs
• Infections: The risk of infection increases with high-volume fat transfers.
• Numbness or other sensations changes: These may be temporary or permanent, depending on if there is nerve damage.
• Scarring: The risk of scarring increases with poor wound healing, which is also common with Brazilian butt lifts.
• Contour irregularities: These include indentations or asymmetry. For example, one buttock may be shaped differently than the other.

According to the task force, the cause of death after Brazilian butt lift surgery was almost always a fat embolism. The warning also noted that fat embolisms occurred with injury to the gluteal veins.

In every person who died, autopsies found fat within the gluteal muscle and not under the skin where it should be. Therefore, the task force concluded that surgeons should never transfer fat directly into the muscle.

A Quick Review

Around the country, cosmetic surgeons perform Brazilian butt lifts. And although plenty of people have seen success with them, the procedure comes with severe risks.

If you decide that a Brazilian butt lift is a surgery you want to have, make sure your healthcare provider is a board-certified cosmetic surgeon. Additionally, you may want to check out their success rates in advance.

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What Is a Brazilian Butt Lift?

A Brazilian butt lift (BBL) is a surgery where a doctor transfers fat from your abdomen, hips, lower back, or thighs to your buttocks. The result is more of an hourglass-shaped figure, with larger buttocks.

A BBL can also result in a smaller waist if the fat comes from your abdomen or lower back. Doctors remove the fat using liposuction. This is a cosmetic procedure in which fat is sucked out using a small plastic tube called a cannula.

Who Can Get a BBL?

You may be a good candidate for a Brazilian butt lift if you:

• Are in generally good health.
• Have extra fat that can be transferred to the buttocks.
• Want larger or more round appearing buttocks.
• Can avoid sitting on your butt for 8 weeks after surgery.
• Can avoid sleeping on your back for 8 weeks after surgery.

How Is a Brazilian Butt Lift Different From Buttock Implants?

A buttock implant is a silicone object placed in the area to enhance it. It is different from a BBL, which uses fat from your own body to make your buttocks look larger and more round.

Buttock implants may carry more risks than getting a BBL. You can get capsular contracture. This is when the scar tissue that forms around implants normally becomes too hard and starts to contract. In some cases, this can cause pain or problems with how the implant looks.

Implants also have a higher risk of infection after surgery. However, buttock implants might be a good option for people who don’t have enough extra fat to transfer for a successful Brazilian butt lift.

Brazilian Butt Lift Recovery

After getting a BBL, it is important to follow the recovery instructions from your doctor closely. If you don’t, you risk killing the transferred fat cells. This reduces the likelihood of you getting the results you want from the surgery.

Directly after surgery. You can expect bruising and swelling in the area where fat was removed with liposuction. It may be hard to move around for the first few days after the surgery, but it’s important to get up and walk around. This will help with the overall recovery process. It will also help to prevent constipation that can be caused by some narcotic painkillers.

You may also notice some bloody fluid leaking from your incision points. This is normal.

Your compression garment. For 8 weeks after the surgery, you will likely need to wear a compression garment over the areas you had liposuction. This helps with the healing process. Any garment your surgeon gives you will typically have a cut-out for the buttocks. This prevents pressure on the newly inserted fat cells.

No sitting. After getting a BBL, it’s very important to avoid sitting on your butt for at least 8 weeks. Sitting on your butt can kill the fat cells or leave indentations, leading to a less than desirable outcome.

If you do have to sit down, you must use a special pillow. Your doctor may provide one, or recommend one to get. After the first 8 weeks, you should only sit on the pillow. You’ll want to avoid sitting in the same position for long periods of time.

Sleep on your side or stomach. You should also sleep on your stomach or side for the first 8 weeks after surgery to avoid killing fat cells.

Your activity levels. For the first month after surgery, you shouldn’t do much. You should particularly avoid any activity that involves bouncing. After a month, you can then begin lower-impact activities like walking.

After 2 months, you can usually resume any activities you enjoy, including high-impact ones. Always check in with your doctor before starting to add in activity.

Is It Safe to Get a BBL?

Any surgery comes with risk. The risks of Brazilian butt lift include fat being injected too deeply leading to fat embolization. This is a condition where fat gets into your bloodstream and travels to your heart or lungs, blocking arteries or veins. Some other risks are:

• Injecting too much fat, also leading to fat embolization
• Infection after surgery
• Changes to skin sensation including numbness
• Loose skin, particularly where liposuction was performed
• Scarring

You can lower the risk of complications after a Brazilian butt lift by researching doctors thoroughly. Choose a board-certified surgeon who has done many successful BBLs. Ask for before and after pictures from your surgeon. Make sure the surgery will happen at an accredited surgery center or hospital.

Show Sources

American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery: “Brazilian Butt Lift.”

American Board of Cosmetic Surgery: “Are Brazilian Butt Lifts Safe?,” “Brazilian Butt Lift.”

American Society of Plastic Surgeons: “Buttock Enhancement Gluteal Augmentation and Lift,” “Recovering from a Brazilian butt lift,” “What are the risks of buttock enhancement?,” “What is capsular contracture and how can it be treated?”