Introduction

Buttock enhancement with fat is one of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures in the United States. However, getting the procedure is a personal decision, meaning you should not give in to the pressure of someone else to undergo the operation. Instead, you should ask yourself as to whether you need the surgery and what improvements you want to achieve with it. Fat Transfer Surgery is best for patients who wish to add some projection and shape to their backsides.

Many people assume that Butt Enhancement with fat is a simple procedure. But the reality is that it is a major surgery that involves the use of your body fat to enhance your booty. It involves the making of incisions on fat donor sites. There are many side effects and risks associated with the operation. The patient must discuss the side effects and risks with the plastic surgeon in advance. Below, I will explain the side effects that happen after butt enhancement with fat.

Vomiting, nausea, and exhaustion

Butt enhancement with fat is typically performed under IV sedation with local anesthesia. However, most patients opt to have the surgery under general anesthesia so that they can stay calm and comfortable during the operation. While the anesthesia can make the surgery seamless and comfortable, it does expose the patient to specific side effects. 

After the surgery, you will be shifted to a recovery room until you regain consciousness. However, the effects of the anesthesia will remain in your body even after waking up. These effects may make you vomit, nauseate, and feel exhausted. The good news is that you will feel better two or three days after the surgery and the vomiting, nausea, and exhaustion will disappear. 

Change in skin sensation

The next side effect that may happen after butt enhancement with fat is change in skin sensation. The plastic surgeon will perform liposuction on the fat donor sites to remove the excess fat for transfer to your buttocks. During liposuction, incisions are made on the target areas. There is a risk that while making the incisions, the nerves may be injured or damaged. When this happens, the patient may lose or experience a change in the natural skin sensation of the target area. 

The good news is that change or loss of skin sensation is rare after butt enhancement with fat because the incisions are smaller and the risk of nerve damage is lower. However, even if it happens, most patients can regain their natural skin sensitivity in a few weeks or months. It is only in sporadic cases where the nerve damage is severe and the change or loss of skin sensation becomes permanent.

Pain and discomforts

Many people assume that they will not experience any pain or discomforts after butt enhancement with fat. However, the reality is that since the surgery involves incisions and surgical trauma, it is common for the patient to experience pain during the first few days following the procedure.  Fortunately, the pain after butt enhancement with fat is short-lived and not severe. 

Generally, the pain is mild and lasts for the first 72 hours following the surgery in most cases. The plastic surgeon will recommend you to take painkillers to cope with the pain. However, the severity of the pain also depends on the patient’s pain tolerance level. If your pain tolerance level is lower, then you may experience moderate or severe pain after the surgery. 

The pain mostly happens at the incision sites used to remove the excess fat from your body. The common fat donor sites include the abdomen, sides, love handles, and upper back. If the pain does not ease or persists beyond the first four days following the surgery, you should contact your plastic surgeon.

Post-operative swelling

One of the unpreventable side effects after butt enhancement with fat is post-operative swelling. Even though the swelling after fat transfer surgery is not as severe as that after butt implant surgery, it still happens. The swelling occurs in the areas where incisions have been made. The post-operative swelling is a normal side effect and occurs as a result of your body’s reaction against the incisions. It occurs as your body works to cope with the incisions.

The swelling after fat transfer surgery is mild or moderate and only affects the fat donor sites where liposuction has been performed. However, you may experience a little bit of swelling in your butt because of the fat injections. In most cases, the swelling subsides within the first six weeks following the operation. However, in some cases, it can take more time. The swelling can be discomforting but is nothing to be concerned about. However, if the swelling increases instead of decreasing and expands beyond the incision areas, then you should contact your plastic surgeon.

Post-operative scarring

Scarring after butt enhancement with fat is an unavoidable side effect. It affects all patients who undergo the operation. In the case of fat transfer surgery, the scars develop at the fat donor sites. Any procedure that involves incisions develops scars. Since fat transfer surgery involves incisions, you will get scars in the area where the incisions were made.

Post-operative scars develop as a result of your body’s action to seal the incisions. When the incisions are made, your body produces more collagen that are targeted at the incisions. The collagen changes the incisions into scars. The scars will then take time to fade and become less visible. However, they will not disappear, meaning they are there to stay with you for a lifetime. Make sure to discuss scarring with your plastic surgeon. 

In rare cases, scars can develop abnormally. Abnormal scars are raised, rough, and more visible. You can ask your plastic surgeon as to what you can do to decrease the risk of abnormal scar development after butt enhancement with fat.

Stretch marks

Some patients get stretch marks on the fat donor areas after fat transfer to the buttocks. Stretch marks develop because of the vacuum created in the butt skin after the removal of fat. Some patients get stretch marks on the buttocks due to fat injections. Fortunately, the development of stretch marks after butt enhancement with fat is rare and happens only in a few cases. If the surgeon removes the fat from the fat donor areas and then carefully injects it into the butt, the risk of stretch marks can be considerably reduced. 

Fat reabsorption

In most cases, the fat injected into your buttocks remains stable and delivers the desired results after a few weeks. However, there is a risk that your body may reabsorb some portion of the fat. Some patients experience a loss of 25% of the fat injected into the booty in the days and weeks following the operation. To prevent this condition, most plastic surgeons inject 25% more than the required amount of fat in each butt. 

Butt asymmetry

Another side effect that you may experience after fat transfer to the butt is buttock asymmetry. There is a risk that your body may reabsorb some fat from one butt but not the other. As a result, one butt may appear more prominent than the other. Also, if the surgeon is inexperienced or unqualified, he may not perform the surgery properly, which can lead to butt asymmetry. To correct butt asymmetry, the patient is required to go through revision surgery.

Shrinkage of the butt due to weight loss

After butt enhancement with fat, the patient is required to avoid massive weight loss because it can shrink the butt and reverse the results. The fat injected into the butt will behave in the same manner as the fat in other areas of your body, and weight loss can affect it in the same way as well. In case you experience weight loss and your buttocks shrink, you will have to get a revision surgery to get back your projected buttocks.

Conclusion

Buttock enhancement with fat, which is more popularly known as the Brazilian butt lift, uses the excess, unwanted fat available in your body to enhance your booty. It uses liposuction to remove the excess fat and then a needle to inject the fat into your butt. Many patients ask as to what the side effects of fat transfer surgery are. In this article, I have explained the side effects in detail. Make sure to discuss the side effects with your plastic surgeon during the consultation session. Also, ask the surgeon for tips to cope with the side effects.

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