Can Fat Grafting Be Done At The Same Time As Buttock Implant Removal?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I want to get my buttock implants removed. They are misshaped and you can see their outline in my pictures. I want them removed and I am wanting to get the Brazilian butt lift to create a larger butt. I’ve had them around 5 years.  The shape has always been this way. My previous doctor told me that the implants would soften up and have a more natural shape. I have been waiting and in all the 5 years this has never happened. 

A: Thank you for sending your pictures. It appears that you have buttock implants that are in the subglandular (above the muscle) position. As a result you have capsular contracture and the implants just look ‘stuck on’ due to their encapsulation. The buttock implants can easily be removed (buttock implant removal) and it is not unreasonable to do fat grafting at the same time. The key to successful buttock fat grafting (aka Brazilian Butt Lift) in your case, besides an adequate amount of fat to harvest, is where the at is placed. Fat should not be injected directly into the pockets (empty spaces) where the implants were. Rather it needs to be placed around the buttocks and in the subcutaneous tissue layer between the skin and the implant capsule where the implants once were.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana