In the performance of a Brazilian Butt Lift fat tissue is harvested from appropriate areas, processed and purified and then reinjected into the buttock area in order to reshape and re-sculpt the buttocks. When considering this procedure the first question to be answered is “Do you have enough available fat?” Petite women with a BMI of 20 or less will not have enough available fat to reshape the buttocks. Patient’s with a BMI of 28 usually equates to a dress size 10-14. These patients normally have sufficient fat available and are good candidates for fat transfer. Fat grafting in a small framed woman will require between 350 cc to 550 cc of processed fat to effectively shape the buttock area. Medium framed patients may require between 700 cc to 900 cc and a large frame individual may need 850 cc to 1200 cc. If there is not enough available fat it is reasonable to recommend gaining 5-20 pounds preoperatively. The amount of retained fat varies from person to person. It is reasonable however to expect 60% to 80% of the fat to survive. It will take 3-6 months postoperatively to know for sure how much fat actually survived.
