Brazilian Butt Lift procedures and other surgeries to lift and enhance the buttocks have increased in numbers over the years. Such treatments are popular among patients who have lost a significant amount of weight, as well as those whose backside has turned south with age. Whatever your reason for considering buttock augmentation, one of the biggest questions you may have is how you will get through the recovery period after your procedure. Let’s see what recovery from buttock augmentation may involve.
Buttock augmentation that harvests fat cells from one area, such as the thighs or the flanks, and inserts those cells into the buttocks, is performed to give a rounded, more voluminous appearance. The added volume may also make the backside appear lifted. Because fat cells need time to become integrated with tissue in the area, sitting is one of the primary risks of recovery.
The Issue with Sitting
When we sit, hundreds of pounds of pressure are exerted on certain parts of the buttocks. The newly inserted cells could be disrupted by this force, so sitting is a matter of strategy during recovery from a Brazilian Butt Lift.
- For the first week after surgery, it is ideal to sit only to use the bathroom. The avoidance of direct pressure on the buttock means that circulation to integrating cells is not cut off. If you sit for other tasks, do so for no more than one hour, and stand up frequently to shift the distribution of weight.
- After the first week, sitting more frequently, such as during work hours, is best done with a pillow that off-loads pressure. This may be a circular pillow or support that you create yourself by placing a rolled towel just behind your knees, and another at your back. If you feel pressure on any part of the buttocks, stand up frequently to minimize the impact on fragile cells.
What about Exercise
Patients who undergo buttock augmentation with fat injections are encouraged to walk a comfortable amount as soon as they feel they can. Exercise that involves stretching, squatting or bending will probably not be tolerable for the first several weeks after surgery due to incisions. These movements may also be disruptive to the fat that is settling into place due to the weakness of the extracellular matrix that holds fat and blood cells in a supportive manner.
Post-operative instructions are discussed at length before buttocks augmentation surgery. To learn more about this procedure, call our Austin office at 512-450-1077.
