What is a Brazilian butt lift?
A Brazilian butt lift (a BBL) is a procedure in which a doctor removes excess fat from your abdomen, arms, inner thighs, love handles, or elsewhere and injects it into your butt.
According to Constantino Mendieta MD, FACS, board-certified plastic surgeon at 4Beauty Aesthetic Institute, the BBL not only slims down the area of the body where the fat was removed, but it also increases the size of your posterior.
According to Mendieta, a BBL can provide a more natural result than other butt-boosting procedures that use silicone implants. Furthermore, getting implants does not come with the added benefit of slimming down other parts of your body.
Brazilian butt lift cost 2022
How much does a BBL cost?
You can expect to pay anywhere from $8,500 to $14,500 for your Brazilian butt lift depending on several factors. Prices vary by surgeon, geographical location, and overall complexity of the case.
| State ▾ | Lowest Price | Highest Price | Average Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Austin | 4,455 | 9,857 | 6,955 |
| 26 | Baltimore | 4,145 | 15,234 | 10,154 |
| 24 | Boston | 5,267 | 9,678 | 7,734 |
| 17 | Charlotte | 4,423 | 8,534 | 6,134 |
| 3 | Chicago | 4,156 | 11,023 | 7,354 |
| 15 | Columbus | 4,523 | 10,023 | 7,823 |
| 9 | Dallas | 4,434 | 11,038 | 7,567 |
| 21 | Denver | 6,623 | 10,965 | 9,034 |
| 18 | Detroit | 4,156 | 9,667 | 6,567 |
| 19 | El Paso | 5,067 | 10,587 | 7,023 |
| 16 | Fort Worth | 4,494 | 11,007 | 7,566 |
| 4 | Houston | 5,536 | 11,565 | 8,878 |
| 14 | Indianapolis | 6,498 | 9,165 | 7,887 |
| 12 | Jacksonville | 4,109 | 8,278 | 6,009 |
| 29 | Las Vegas | 5,454 | 11,787 | 8,390 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | 5,434 | 11,923 | 8,554 |
| 30 | Louisville-Jefferson Coun | 7,389 | 9,143 | 8,245 |
| 23 | Memphis | 4,583 | 7,240 | 5,476 |
| 25 | Nashville-Davidson | 3,665 | 8,636 | 5,887 |
| 1 | New York | 4,124 | 11,731 | 7,171 |
| 27 | Oklahoma City | 4,765 | 9,163 | 7,330 |
| 5 | Philadelphia | 3,655 | 7,758 | 5,655 |
| 6 | Phoenix | 4,398 | 9,356 | 6,895 |
| 28 | Portland | 5,000 | 7,758 | 6,434 |
| 7 | San Antonio | 5,545 | 7,521 | 6,214 |
| 8 | San Diego | 3,058 | 10,054 | 6,502 |
| 13 | San Francisco | 3,258 | 11,052 | 6,743 |
| 10 | San Jose | 3,221 | 11,033 | 6,756 |
| 20 | Seattle | 4,582 | 10,935 | 7,010 |
| 22 | Washington | 4,123 | 10,998 | 7,332 |
Breaking down the BBL cost
As you can see, the average bbl price varies significantly, ranging from $5,476 to $10,174. The cost of a Butt augmentation varies depending on where you go due to a number of factors, which are highlighted below:
1. Location of the Practice
The cost of living varies according to geographical location. In general, the cost of cosmetic surgery is higher in high-cost-of-living areas of the country.
A practice in Los Angeles, for example, will charge more for a buttocks lift than a practice in San Francisco due to the higher cost of living index, which affects all types of services and goods in that area, including plastic surgery services and related costs (see cost of anaesthesia and operating room below).
Similarly, a practice in, say, India or Turkey will perform a butt augmentation at a lower cost than one in Paris (from $2,400 vs. $7,300), whereas a patient opting for a butt lift in Switzerland will be required to pay at least $6,600 for the liposuction alone.
However, patients who choose to travel to a different plastic surgeon, possibly in a different country, should factor travel expenses into the overall bbl cost.
2. Plastic Surgeon’s Fee
A more experienced and reputable plastic surgeon who specializes in Brazilian butt lift and is in high demand from patients will almost certainly charge a higher fee.
This is why the procedure is so heavily reliant on the surgeon. Having said that, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons advises patients to choose the most appropriate surgeon for the cosmetic procedure they require rather than making a decision based on the surgeon’s fee.
This is because working with the most qualified surgeons, who usually cost more up front, will save you money in the long run because they provide exceptional results with a much lower risk of complications.
3. Cost of Anaesthesia
A Brazilian butt lift can be performed under IV sedation or general anaesthesia, depending on the circumstances. Because this is such an important part of the procedure, the cost of an experienced anaesthesiologist and their team should be considered. A practice must have an experienced and well-trained anaesthesia team.
In general, the cost of anaesthesia in the United States can range from around $500 (for local anaesthesia administered in an office setting) to more than $3,500 for general anaesthesia administered in a hospital operating room by a certified registered nurse anaesthetist or an anesthesiologist. The following items are typically included in the total anaesthesia costs:
anaesthesiologist’s fee,
cost of medications,
equipment, supplies, and
staff used for anaesthesia.
General anaesthesia costs are typically calculated using a base unit value assigned to the specific procedure based on its complexity, multiplied by the number of 15-minute time units spent by the anaesthesiologist, and multiplied by how much they charge per unit.
According to a 2010 survey, an anaesthesiologist in the United States charges between $60 and $64 per unit. In other words, the longer a procedure takes (and thus the more complicated the procedure), the more money an anesthesiologist charges.
It’s also worth noting that a nurse anaesthetist will charge you less than a board-certified anaesthesiologist. Doctors advise patients to exercise extreme caution when choosing a plastic surgeon to perform any type of cosmetic surgery.
To avoid critical safety issues, they must collaborate with a board-certified anaesthesiologist.
To give you a better idea, according to www.HealthcareBlueBook.com, the anaesthesia costs for a hysterectomy in the United States, which can last up to 2 hours, are around $1,243.
A BBL will take between 5 and 8 hours to complete, depending on the amount of liposuction performed and the amount of fat injected back into the buttocks.
4. Cost of Operation Room
According to clinical studies, the average cost per minute of operating room time is around $60. The true cost of an operating room, on the other hand, is determined by the specifics of the operating facility.
Some doctors claim that they perform the Brazilian butt lift surgery in office operating rooms that are free of charge, and that they profit from the procedure.
Others charge less for surgery to cover the difference in office operating room charges, while a small percentage of plastic surgeons operate in office operating rooms and are charged hourly, with no control over the hourly charge.
That being said, the regulations in each US state impose different costs on the surgical facility that must be charged to patients if undergoing a BBL there.
However, in densely populated areas with a high concentration of plastic surgeons and surgical facilities in close proximity, operating room charges do not vary significantly.
As a result, if the majority of local operating rooms charge $500/hour and a surgeon charges half that amount, it should raise concerns that something isn’t being done at the facility; something that could jeopardize the procedure’s safety.
Of course, if a plastic surgeon has invested more money in advanced technology and equipment, as well as a state-of-the-art surgical facility, operating room costs may be higher than in another facility that only provides the basics.
5. Complexity of the Case
The more complicated the procedure, the longer it will take and thus the higher the cost. If a patient requests a 6-inch increase in their measurement, for example, they should be prepared for a longer and more difficult procedure.
In this case, a combination of procedures may be required to achieve the desired result. These may include the use of liposuction in conjunction with autologous fat transfer.
For most cases, the average Brazilian butt lift cost is around $10,000 in the United States and $8,500 in Canada.
The most frequently requested combined procedure is the tummy tuck (or abdominoplasty) and Brazilian butt lift, which is especially popular among women who have recently become mothers and want to return to a sexier version of themselves after giving birth.
A tummy tuck costs between $7,500 and $9,500 on average, and you may be able to negotiate a discount with your plastic surgeon if you have both procedures done at the same time.
At this point, people’s perspectives differ. Some doctors appear to agree that having a tummy tuck and a Brazilian butt lift at the same time is the best way to avoid having to undergo a second surgery and second-time anaesthesia.
Furthermore, if those two surgeries are performed concurrently, the costs are reduced. Other surgeons recommend that the buttlift and tummy tuck be performed separately.
This is because the recovery from a tummy tuck requires the patient to remain in any flexed or bent position at the hips, whereas the recovery from a butt augmentation requires the patient to apply as little pressure to the butt region as possible.
As a result, finding a position that is comfortable for a patient who has had both procedures at the same time will be difficult.
The rest of the plastic surgeons recommend that the patient first undergoes a butt lift, in which fat is aggressively removed from the waist and abdomen, and then schedules a tummy tuck to address the loose skin in the trunk and abdomen after they have recovered from the butt lift.
Additional BBL Fees
Aside from the plastic surgery itself, the patient must also consider additional costs that are not included in the price quote they receive.
These can include, among other things, the cost of any prescription drugs the patient may need to take, the cost of any surgical garments required after the surgery, and the cost of any medical tests that may be required.
It should be noted, however, that some plastic surgeons exclude the anaesthesiologist’s fee and operating room charges from their quote, so it’s always a good idea to read the fine print or ask what’s included in the offered package so you can get an accurate overall cost estimate for Brazilian buttock augmentation.
Below is a list of the charges that can add up to the cost of the procedure (besides the surgeon’s fees):
Surgical facility
Anaesthesia
Use of special technology and/or equipment
Wound dressings
Pre- and/or post-surgery garments
Lab tests
Medications
Aftercare costs
Other factors affect the cost
The level of difficulty of the surgery can be increased by the patient’s medical history and overall health. For example, if you have an immune deficiency or a chronic condition, such as uncontrolled diabetes, you instantly increase the surgery’s complexity.
This has an impact on your recovery as well. You may need more time to relapse and return to your normal routine, which may require you to take more medications after the surgery (for a longer period of time than usual) and possibly take more time off work. All of this adds up to more money spent on your behalf.
The type of anaesthesia used is another factor that influences the overall cost of the buttlift (IV-sedation or general anaesthesia). This depends on the type of surgery you need, your personal preferences, and, of course, your medical needs.
Except for diabetes, some other health problems that increase the risk for complications from the surgery include:
Anaemia
High cholesterol
High blood pressure
Depression
Arthritis
Finally, patients who are unable to quit smoking, which is a critical requirement for the pre-op period as well as the recovery phase, are not considered good candidates for any cosmetic procedure, including Brazilian butt lift.
The same holds true for binge drinkers. Now, if a patient insists on having the surgery despite the doctor’s advice, they should be prepared to pay significantly more if the plastic surgeon is willing to take the risk and operate on that patient.
Finally, patients who are unable to quit smoking, which is a critical requirement that can have an impact on the final outcome, for the pre-op period as well as the recovery phase, are not considered good candidates for any cosmetic procedure, including Brazilian butt lift.
The same is true for binge drinkers. Now, if a patient insists on having the surgery despite the doctor’s advice, they should expect significantly higher costs if the plastic surgeon is willing to take the risk and operate on that patient.
BBL procedure
Different surgeons may use slightly different techniques to perform a BBL, but according to Luis Macias MD, a double board-certified plastic surgeon at Aesthetic MdR, the procedure is typically performed as follows:
The surgeon will mark the patient before the surgery to confirm the areas of liposuction and fat grafting.
General anesthesia will be administered to the patient.
A tumescent solution is injected into the liposuction areas by the surgeon. This is an IV fluid containing adrenaline and lidocaine, which allows for easier fat separation, less bleeding, and a less painful recovery.
Liposuction will be performed in the locations agreed upon. The fat is separated from the tumescent solution after it has been removed.
The fat is injected into the buttocks and hip dips.
The recovery and healing process takes a long time. BBL patients, according to Mendieta, require about 10 days off to rest and recover before returning to work.
According to Mendieta, it will take two to three weeks for the incision sites to heal and three to four weeks for the patient to feel normal. It is normal to have swelling and bruising during this time.
Your surgeon will provide you with specific care instructions, which you must strictly adhere to in order to achieve the best results. “It is critical that the patient receives the recommended number of massages, wears the appropriate clothing, and follows all necessary instructions,” Mendieta says.
The risks of a BBL – Brazilian butt lift death rate 2022
Every surgery has risks, but the BBL is particularly contentious due to reports of deaths associated with the procedure.
A 2022 report surveyed 692 surgeons from around the world and discovered that 3% (about 21) of them had a patient die as a result of a BBL.
The researchers of this study concluded that BBL-like surgeries appear to be associated with “significantly higher mortality rates” than any other cosmetic surgery.
The average mortality rate for outpatient cosmetic surgeries is 0.25–0.50 per 100,000 procedures, according to a 2020 report.
According to Macias, one of the major risks of BBLs is fat embolism. This is when fat enters the bloodstream, travels through the blood vessels, and eventually causes a pulmonary blockage, which can be fatal.
Fat embolism occurred when fat was injected into or under the patient’s muscle, according to autopsies of BBL patients, according to Macias.
As a result, it’s critical that patients are aware of this risk and choose a surgeon who only injects fat into the subcutaneous layer of the buttocks, above the muscle.
You can reduce your risk by visiting a board-certified plastic surgeon who has performed the procedure before.
Other risks of the BBL include blood clots and infection, which are common with many other surgeries, according to Mendieta.
