Buttock fat grafting in Turin, ItalyBrazilian butt lift (BBL) with your own fat
More volume and a more harmonious shape of the buttocks, with your own fat and no implants.
In short. Buttock fat grafting takes the patient's own fat with a small liposuction (usually from the abdomen, flanks or thighs), prepares it and grafts it into the buttocks to increase their volume and improve their shape, without implants. It is often called a Brazilian butt lift (BBL), a name that simply means buttock augmentation with your own fat. I perform it under local anaesthesia with sedation, as a day case. The fat must be grafted only under the skin, never into the muscle.
How I work
The result of fat grafting depends on how much fat survives after it is grafted. In the medical literature, on average about half of the grafted fat takes: this is why every step of my technique is designed to protect the fat cells.
Gentle harvesting: with a low-trauma liposuction, from areas where fat is in excess.
No centrifuge: in my view centrifugation damages the fat cells. I prepare the fat with several gravity washes and a tailored solution, to obtain a very clean graft.
Preparing the receiving tissue: with a very thin cannula I create many small tunnels in the tissue, which receive the fat and help it take.
"Spaghetti" grafting: the fat is placed in very thin strands, in several layers, so that every small portion is in contact with living tissue that nourishes it.
Final vibration massage: at the end of the operation I perform a vibration massage of the area where I grafted the fat (explained below).
The vibration massage at the end of surgery
At the end of the operation I massage the grafted area with a vibrating device. It is a step of my technique, and I use it with these aims:
Even distribution: helping the fat settle evenly in the network of small tunnels, rather than collecting in one spot.
Fewer lumps and irregularities: clumps of fat with a poor blood supply can undergo fat necrosis (cysts or calcifications); spreading the fat evenly aims to reduce this.
Checking the result in theatre: it lets me assess the symmetry and the real volumes before you wake up, and refine the shape when needed.
The scientific evidence on vibration and the survival of grafted fat is still limited, so I do not present it as a proven way to improve the take of the graft.
Where the fat goes: never into the muscle
In the buttocks I graft fat only above the muscle fascia, in the fatty tissue under the skin and in several layers. Never into the muscle: large veins run through and beneath the gluteal muscle, and fat injected there can enter the circulation and cause fat embolism, a rare but very serious complication. During the operation I use ultrasound to check in real time that the cannula, and therefore the fat, stays above the muscle fascia, as recommended by plastic surgery societies for this procedure. Keeping the fat above the fascia greatly reduces this risk, but no technique can eliminate every risk.
Simplified diagram of the tissues of the buttock: the fat (yellow strands) is grafted only into the fatty tissue under the skin, above the fascia; never into the muscle.
How much fat is needed
In my practice I graft from about 250 to about 700 millilitres per side, depending on your body structure, the fat available and the result you want. I aim for proportion with the rest of the figure, not extreme volumes: very large buttocks, out of proportion with the body, are not part of the way I work.
Fat grafting or implants?
Fat grafting
Implants
Material
Your own fat
Silicone implant
Look and feel
Natural, soft
More defined, feels different from tissue
Volume achievable
Moderate, depends on the fat available
Greater and predictable
Scars
Incisions of a few millimetres
A longer incision
Donor area
Is reshaped too
None
Second session
Sometimes needed
As a rule, no
When it is indicated
For those with fat to harvest who want a moderate, natural increase
For those who are very slim or want a larger increase
If an implant is the best solution for you, I will tell you at the consultation (gluteoplasty, page in Italian).
After surgery
I operate at Aesthetic Clinic in Turin, under local anaesthesia with sedation, as a day case: you go home the same day. After sedation you must not drive that day: someone can drive you home, or you can take a taxi.
When
What happens
First day
Home the same day and 24 hours of rest.
First 15 days
A compression garment shaped to your buttocks, day and night. You sit on the front half of the chair, without leaning back, so as not to compress the buttocks.
From the first days
Short walks are encouraged.
After about 7 days
Back to the gym with light training, avoiding exercises that put pressure on the buttocks; I tell you at the check-up when you can return to full training.
Days 16 to 30
Garment for about 12 hours a day, during the day or at night.
First months
Swelling goes down and part of the fat is reabsorbed; the fat that takes stays stable.
After a few months
The final result is assessed and, if needed, a second session.
Follow-up visits after surgery are included for one year.
If you live abroad: plan to stay in or near Turin for the first check-ups. You can sit, but for the first 15 days it takes a few precautions (on the front half of the seat, without leaning back): on a long flight or drive this needs some planning, so we discuss your journey home at the consultation. See also International patients.
Benefits
No implants and no foreign material: your own fat is used.
A natural result, to the eye and to the touch.
The area where the fat is taken from, such as the abdomen or flanks, becomes more harmonious.
Incisions of a few millimetres.
Local anaesthesia with sedation, and home the same day.
Drawbacks and limits
Part of the grafted fat is reabsorbed in the first months: the final result is seen after a few months.
Sometimes a second session is needed to reach the desired volume.
You need enough fat to harvest: in very slim people it may not be possible.
The volume achievable is more limited than with an implant.
In the first weeks you must sit without compressing the buttocks and wear the garment.
Like any operation it has risks, which we assess together at the consultation; the most serious, fat embolism, is rare: keeping the fat above the muscle fascia greatly reduces the risk, but cannot eliminate it completely.
When I do not recommend fat grafting
Before suggesting an operation I want to understand what you want and whether fat grafting is really the right answer. I do not recommend it to people with little fat to harvest, to those whose weight is changing, to smokers who are not willing to stop around the time of surgery, to people with uncontrolled illnesses or clotting problems, and to those looking for very large buttocks, out of proportion with the body.
Reviews
My patients' experiences are published and can be checked on GuidaEstetica (194 reviews), MiaEstetica (5.0 out of 5) and Google, in Italian.
How much does buttock fat grafting cost?
The cost depends on how much fat is needed and how many donor areas need to be treated, things that can only be understood by seeing you. After the consultation you will receive a written quote, tailored to you, with the first available date for surgery.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the result last?
The fat that takes in the first months stays stable over time and follows the body's weight changes: keeping a stable weight is important to maintain the result.
How much fat is grafted?
From about 250 to about 700 millilitres per side, depending on body structure and the desired result.
How do you sit after surgery?
For the first 15 days, on the front half of the chair without leaning back, so that the buttocks are not compressed.
Is buttock fat grafting safe?
Like any operation it has risks, which we assess together at the consultation. The most important safety rule is to graft fat only under the skin, above the fascia, and never into the muscle: this greatly reduces the risk of fat embolism, although no technique eliminates every risk.
Written and medically reviewed by Dr Giulio Maria Maggi, plastic surgeon (Turin Medical Board no. 20595, AICPE member) — last reviewed:
