The New Brazilian Butt Lift Technique by Dr. Kenneth Benjamin Hughes, Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

The New Brazilian Butt Lift Technique
by Dr. Kenneth Benjamin Hughes, Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

           Many people are familiar with liposuction and the transfer of fat to the buttocks known as the Brazilian buttlift or BBL.  The Brazilian butt lift has been evolving for the last decade or so and has undergone tremendous change in the method of introduction of fat into the buttocks.  

           As a background, Dr. Kenneth Benjamin Hughes is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Los Angeles, who has performed thousands of Brazilian butt lifts (BBL). Four years ago, Dr. Hughes developed a new fat grafting technique due to his concerns about the safety of intramuscular injections and the development of fat emboli (little pieces of fat migrate through the bloodstream and potentially block function of certain organs including the lungs). Before the turning point in 2015, Dr. Kenneth Hughes along with the vast majority of board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States, transferred at least a portion of the fat to the buttocks into the muscular tissue.

         At that time in 2015, this intramuscular method of injection was the standard of care and remained the standard of care until less than 2 years ago with no formal recommendation until August 2018. At this time in 2019, the plastic surgery community as a whole knows that intramuscular injection of fat into the buttocks can lead to fat embolus. The current theory is that larger diameter vessels in the muscles allows for a small risk of intravascular introduction of fat. Some of these fat emboli do not cause respiratory collapse, but can lead to significant morbidity even if the patient recovers. These emboli can migrate throughout the body affecting other organs. Some of these fat emboli will even lead to patient death.

           In an effort to reduce the incidence of fat emboli, Dr. Kenneth Hughes developed a subdermal fat transfer method for the Brazilian butt lift in 2015. In this subdermal method, Dr. Hughes places fat directly under the skin, visualizing the tip of the fat transfer cannula at all times. There were many unanswered questions at the point in 2015 when this subdermal method was introduced.  With this very superficial injection technique, the larger blood vessels were avoided and the cannula for injection was 4 times the diameter of the blood vessels in that area.

          Over the past 4 years, Dr. Kenneth Hughes has performed the fat transfer and Brazilian butt lift procedures with the subdermal transfer method. Dr. Hughes tabulated complications for this subdermal method. Of the approximately 1500 patients, infection occurred only 3% of the time. There were no instances of fat necrosis with this method of transfer. The fat resorption rate was believed to be greater though no MRI testing or volumetric analysis to confirm was performed. There were NO instances of fat emboli observed with this method so far. 

To see more of Dr. Kenneth Benjamin Hughes:

https://www.hughesplasticsurgery.com
https://www.drkennethbenjaminhughesmd.com