BBL Or Fat Transfer Surgery

Items To Obtain Prior To Surgery

Two Weeks Before Surgery

 • Do not take any products containing aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication or Vitamin E. Tylenol is acceptable.

 • Refrain from all nicotine products, including cigarettes, pipe tobacco, chew or Nicotine patch. Nicotine interferes with healthy circulation and may affect the result of your surgery. It also places you at higher risk of complication when receiving anesthesia.

One Week Before Surgery

• Do not drink alcohol for 1 week before and after surgery.

The Day Before Surgery

• You will receive a phone call informing you of your arrival time for surgery. 

• DO NOT EAT OR DRINK ANYTHING AFTER MIDNIGHT. (This includes water and gum chewing). Surgery may be cancelled if this is not followed. A fasting state is required in order to receive sedation for surgery. The only exception is medication, which we instruct you to take with a sip of water the morning of surgery

Post-Operative Instructions For Bbl Surgery

• A responsible adult must provide transportation for you after surgery (public transportation is not permissible). He/she must stay with you overnight and after surgery until the morning following the procedure. If you are having several procedures, you may need or prefer assistance for 1-2 days following your procedure. 

• Avoid making major decisions or participating in activities that require judgment for 24 hours.

• Avoid any activities that cause pain or discomfort.

• Do not drive for three weeks. 

• Limit your activities for the first 24 hours after surgery. Walk for short distances during the first 24 hours after surgery. It is good to walk for 15 – 20 minutes 6 times per day or get up every hour to walk to the restroom and back. This encourages blood flow throughout your legs to reduce the chance of blood clot development. 

• Avoid heavy lifting, bending and straining for 4-6 weeks. You may resume all activity after six weeks. Do not squat or stretch for 3 weeks. Activities can cause pressure in the buttocks and can destroy transplanted fat.

Showering

• You may shower (but not bathe)  2 days after surgery.

• You may wash the surgical area with soap (any kind) and water (lukewarm, never hot). Do not use surgical soaps to wash the area as these are drying to the skin. Use regular soap. 

• Remove all your garments, dressings (except for steri-strips) when showering. When out of the shower, blow dry incisions on a cool setting or gently pat dry. Apply usual compression garments. If you have steri-strips fall off in the shower, there is no need to replace them. 

• Make sure someone is with you at your first shower. Make the shower a quick one. 

• If you find that the binder is making you itchy, you may wear a tight cami shirt under your binder.

Positioning

• IMPORTANT: DO NOT SIT ON YOUR BUTT FOR THREE WEEKS AFTER SURGERY 

Do not lay on your back or sit on your buttocks for at least 10 days after surgery. After 10 days, you should not sit for prolonged periods (2 hours) for the next 3 weeks. Prolonged sitting creates pressure and may cause you to compromise the circulation to the fat that was just transferred there. This allows the fat to regain its blood supply from the surrounding fat’s blood supply. 

You can purchase a “Booty Buddy” pillow (or one like it) if you must sit prior to three weeks. The patented Booty Buddy seat cushion works by supporting your thighs, which enables your butt to hang free when seated with no pressure added. You can purchase at http://thebootybuddy.com

• You may sleep on your stomach or sides for 3 weeks. 

• DO NOT SMOKE. This is very important!!!

• Smoking (tobacco, marijuana, or vapes) can result in a lack of blood supply to tissues and fat causing tissue death or delayed wound healing. Even 0% nicotine vapes contain a trace amount of nicotine that the FDA accepts as 0%. 

• Smoking can resume 6 weeks after surgery as long as no challenges in healing are present. 

Supplements

 • Do not take aspirin (or products containing aspirin) or Ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®, Midol®) for 3 weeks after surgery. Also do not begin herbal supplements until 3 weeks after surgery.

 Arnica, Bromelin and Vitamin C are okay to take.

• Phentermine or appetite suppressants should not be taken until 6 weeks after surgery as these supplements increase heart rate and blood pressure and can interfere with your recover

• Take deep breaths to fully inflate your lungs 10 times every hour (while awake) for the first few days after surgery. This is necessary to prevent post-operative pneumonia or atelactasis (lung collapse).

 • Pump legs while lying down to prevent blood clots. Do frequent pedal presses or foot pumps while sitting as well. It is encouraged to begin walking as soon as you can even it is a few steps. You will be wearing supportive stockings consistently for the first 2 weeks after surgery. Wear Knee High TED hose until resumption of normal activity (usually 2 weeks). 

• Take all medications as instructed.

• Swelling and bruising are normal. It is expected to take between 3-6 months to see your final results. • Drink plenty of fluids (8-10 glasses/day) for the first couple of weeks after surgery as this will help you to remain well hydrated and reduce swelling.

• After surgery it is common that you will have drainage from sites that the liposuction was performed.  The absorb pads will help catch some of the fluid. Do not be alarmed if you drain for a week or longer from some sites.  This is normal. You may change the absorbent gauze pads that are placed at the surgical site as needed to help keep the incision clean and dry.

 • A surgical garment will be applied immediately after surgery. This is to be worn continuously for the first week. After one week, you may remove the garment to shower. After showering, the garment must be placed back on and worn for six weeks. You may want to use a funnel to direct the flow of urine when using the bathroom to keep the garment as clean as possible. 

• Avoid direct sunlight to the incision for at least 1 year. Use a sunscreen with zinc oxide with SPF 20 or greater to help decrease the visibility of the scar.

Exercise And Sexual Activity

• No overheating for the first 3 weeks (spas, exercising in the sun, etc). 

• At 4 weeks, you can consider passive or less vigorous sexual activity that will not cause abdominal movement. 

• Cardio may resume at 3 – 4 weeks following surgery.

• Do not lift anything heavier than 10 lbs. for the first 6 weeks. 

• All other exercises (including squats or any activity the requires flexion at the hip) may be resumed 6 weeks after surgery. 

• You may begin swimming 4 weeks post-operatively, if healing is complete.

What To Expect

 • Moderate swelling to the surgical area is to be expected. You may find that your clothes may not fit as easily as before. Be patient. The swelling will gradually subside and you will be back to normal in 3 – 6 months. Swelling will be at its worst between 3 – 5 days. Swelling starts to subside at 6 weeks but may take 6 months to resolve. 

• Bruising is a normal expectation following surgery. Bruising could be apparent for as long as 3 – 4 weeks afterwards. The bruises will move down your body as they are absorbed. 

• It takes 6 MONTHS FOR FINAL RESULTS to appear. In the interim, you may notice asymmetry and swelling that changes from day-to-day. Be patient please and try not to focus on these issues before the 6-month period. 

• A burning sensation (raw, sensitive) or sharp shooting pains along the surgical areas and incision sites is normal and indicative of nerve regeneration. This sensation normally ends at 9 months. 

• Numbness is expected to resolve by 9 months on average. Rarely is there permanent numbness. 

Emotional Exepectations Following Surgery

• It is not unusual for patients to undergo significant emotional “ups and downs” after any type of surgery. Factors such as underlying stress, medications, and/or psychological tendencies can result in patients experiencing a “post-operative depression” that generally resolves after a few weeks. Having a partner, family member, or friend who is supportive can help with this process. Understanding the stages of emotional “ups and downs” can help patients stay calm and recover from this emotional process faster: 

Phase 1: Being Out of It: Swelling and discomfort is most severe over the first few days after surgery. Pain medications also can make you disoriented and emotional. 

Phase 2: Mood Swings: Having just had surgery, patients are adjusting to a sudden change in their appearance with much anticipation. The presence of bruising, swelling, and asymmetries will distort a patient’s results thereby concealing the final outcome. Mood swings (especially sadness), worry and depression are common emotions as a result. Patients may even ask, “What have I done?” or think that “I never should have done it.” 

Phase 3: Being over critical: During the second week, patients will probably be feeling a lot better. The swelling and muscle cramping/spasms will be decreasing and sutures will be out. Because of anticipation, it is natural for patients to look critically at their new body worrying about symmetry, scars, and so on. At this point, it’s normal to wonder if they have achieved their goal and what they paid for. This is too soon to tell and most concerns are resolved with time. 

Phase 4: Happy at last  – Finally, about 3 – 6 months out of surgery, patients will probably start liking how they look and are feeling much better