Have You Heard of the Brazilian Butt Lift? Is It Safe?

Apr 21, 2017 by Justin Vict

The Brazilian Butt Lift is a cosmetic procedure originating in Brazil. It’s gained some popularity through the years – but is it safe?

The Brazilian Butt Lift is a recognized fat grafting technique that cosmetic surgeons are legally allowed to perform. It’s been used since 1987 and was invented by Ivo Pitanguy, a world-renowned Brazilian plastic surgeon. But the Brazilian Butt Lift is not his only contribution to the plastic surgery field – the British Association for Aesthetic and Plastic Surgeons commemorated him as significantly advancing the advanced techniques of reconstructive and aesthetic surgery all by himself. These include tummy tucks, face lifts, rhinoplasty, and breast reconstructions. They say he’s especially amazing because most plastic surgeons only specialize in one area of plastic surgery while Dr. Pitanguy made all these vast contributions to these many fields. He’s also made plastic surgery more accessible to the economically challenged.

Having said that, what exactly is the Brazilian Butt Lift that Dr. Pitanguy is so famous for? Unlike a regular butt lift, which involves the removal of superfluous skin and fat from the buttocks in order to lower the buttocks’ volume, the Brazilian Butt Lift is more like butt augmentation. Here the plastic surgeon uses liposuction on the patient’s stomach, thighs, or other areas with excess fat, then grafts or injects it into their buttocks.

In general, buttocks augmentation procedures have been on the rise since 2015. The International Society of Aesthetic and Cosmetic Surgery reported a global 30 percent increase in these procedures. In fact, even Kim Kardashian and Nicki Minaj inspired their fans to undergo these procedures. But is it safe?

Some doctors will, of course, say that buttocks augmentation, including the Brazilian Butt Lift, is safe. But recently a 29-year old woman died after getting a Brazilian Butt Lift done at a Florida clinic. Her body absorbed some of the fat implanted into her buttocks, and as it was traveling it ended up clogging blood vessels in her lungs and heart, which led to her death. But this may be the clinic’s fault rather than the procedure’s since the clinic has a history of allowing unlicensed doctors to perform procedures.

But some plastic surgeons utilize custom Brazilian Butt Lift techniques where less than 10 percent of the fat volume injected is absorbed by the body. One particular technique boasts no complications from infection, fat death, embolisms, or skin death.

You should decide for yourself whether you’d like to get this procedure done. You should be happy with your body, but if you’re truly unhappy, then maybe this procedure is worth its risks. Before getting this procedure done, get yourself evaluated by a therapist to see if your underlying reasons for getting the procedure really merit you getting a Brazilian Butt Lift.