Getting a BBL Under Local Anesthesia: Does It Hurt and Is It Safer?
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Posted on February 28, 2023 under BBL
Plastic surgery is an industry with innovations happening every year. Procedures that used to be complicated may now be performed during your lunch hour. When it comes to BBLs or Brazilian Butt Lifts, this niche has seen substantial changes.
What is a BBL?
A Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) is actually two procedures in one. The main goal is to lift and enhance the rear area’s appearance. First, excess fat is removed from the flankls or abdomen using liposuction. These fat cells are then transferred into the buttocks to naturally lift and fill and enhance a patient’s backside. There’s no need for implants or any foreign materials to be placed into the body.
Breaking Down the BBL Process
To understand when local anesthesia can be used, it’s imperative to know what happens during a BBL. Doctors select the fat area to be accessed, and they numb the region. With the anesthesia going strong, they make a small incision in the skin and remove some fat. Doctors then strategically insert the fat into the hip dips and buttocks region.
This process continues until there’s enough fat moved into the new location. Typically, extra fat must be moved to the hip dips and buttocks in case of some tissue loss. The body will absorb a certain amount, which allows the remaining fat to form the rear-end look that you’re looking for.
Understanding Local Versus General Anesthetic
Because tissue must be accessed and moved from one area to another, anesthesia must be used. Depending on the complexity of the procedure, either type of anesthesia can be implemented.
Local Anesthesia
Local anesthesia involves numbing the immediate area to be worked on and you’re sedated during the procedure. Local anesthetic usually uses a numbing agent called lidocaine administered through an injection. In addition to this, we use oral and IV sedation to make the process comfortable. Sedation can be selected when the amount of fat to be transferred is smaller such as when only the hip dips are augmented.
General Anesthesia
General anesthesia means the patient is completely asleep. It is still safe for the patient. Patients are put to sleep under general anesthesia through IV sedation and an anesthesiologist is in monitoring and in control of your breathing during general anesthesia. General anesthesia is used for larger fat transfers especially when volume is to be added to the buttocks for projection.
Opting for Local Anesthesia
Local anesthesia can be used for smaller fat transfers. If a patient may have something else being done during the allotted time, such as a tummy tuck or lower body lift then general anesthesia would definitely needed to be used.
Schedule a Consultation
If you have any questions, we encourage you to schedule a consultation at Cosmetic Surgery Associates. Board-certified plastic surgeons Dr. Jabs, Dr. Magge, and Dr. Richards are proud to serve the Bethesda, Maryland, area and surrounding communities. Come and see what we can do for your overall appearance today!
Our Plastic Surgery Associates team includes Dr. Franklin Richards, Dr. A. Dean Jabs, and Dr. Keshav Magge. Each of our plastic surgeons is board-certified, and together they have over 60 years of combined experience. Drs. Richards, Jabs, and Magge are all highly qualified in procedures for the face, breast, and body, and pride themselves in providing excellent results through our state-of-the-art, Quad A certified operating centers
