Gluteal fat grafting (BBL)

Gluteal fat grafting, often called BBL ("Brazilian Butt Lift"), combines two procedures: liposuction of areas with excess fat (waist, hips, back, abdomen), followed by reinjection of part of that fat into the buttocks to improve their curve and volume. It is a genuine operation, under general anaesthesia, and not a minor procedure. Safety depends above all on technique: the fat must be injected only into the layer beneath the skin, above the muscle. Injecting into the muscle carries a rare but serious risk of fat embolism. Current recommendations from plastic surgery societies all point in this direction, and they are strictly applied. The result depends on the amount of fat available and the proportion that survives after injection. It varies from one person to another, and part of the volume is reabsorbed during the first few months. The consultation is used to assess whether the procedure is suitable, to discuss realistic expectations and to allow time to think. At Clinique Pasteur Tunis, gluteal fat grafting is performed in the operating theatre by a plastic surgeon, with an anaesthesia consultation, a short hospital stay and follow-up after the operation.