Fat harvesting
Liposuction removes fat from donor areas such as the abdomen, flanks, lower back, thighs or bra roll. Dr. Khan chooses sites based on where you have enough fat and where contouring will do the most for your proportions.
Model Body · Fat transfer
Brazilian Butt Lift
Fuller, rounder curves built from your own fat, with the waist and flanks refined in the same session. Dr. Khan performs the BBL awake, with local tumescent anesthesia and light sedation, so you go home the same day.
- Awake optionLocal anesthesia for appropriate candidates
- SurgicalPerformed by Dr. Khan
- About an hourConsultation fees are currently waived
- Sugar Land, TXServing Greater Houston
About the procedure
A Brazilian butt lift (BBL) uses liposuction to collect fat from areas where you have extra, most often the abdomen, flanks, lower back or thighs, then purifies that fat and places it in the buttocks to add shape and projection. Because the donor areas are contoured at the same time, the result is a change in your overall silhouette, not just a larger backside.
Dr. Khan also offers a petite BBL for patients with a lower body weight who want subtle enhancement using a smaller volume of their own fat. In every case, the plan starts with how much donor fat you actually have, how your frame carries it, and the shape you want to see.
What it addresses
- A flat or square buttock shape that exercise hasn’t changed
- Lost volume after weight loss, pregnancy or with age
- Upper-buttock fullness and projection
- Hip and lateral curves, and the waist-to-hip ratio
- Lower-buttock roundness and definition
- Donor-area fullness at the abdomen, flanks, lower back, thighs or bra line
What it doesn't do
- A BBL needs donor fat. If you have very little to harvest, the enhancement will be modest, and Dr. Khan will tell you that candidly rather than over-promise.
- Some of the transferred fat is reabsorbed during healing. That is expected and planned for, but the final volume is never fully predictable.
- It does not lift loose, hanging buttock skin. Significant laxity after major weight loss may call for a different approach.
The Empowered approach
How Dr. Khan approaches a Brazilian butt lift
She designs for proportion, not maximum size. The waist, hips, lower back and buttocks are planned as one continuous shape, and she sets expectations around the fat you have available rather than the volume you may have seen elsewhere. The goal is a result that looks like it belongs on your body.
Safety drives her technique. Fat is placed only in the subcutaneous layer above the muscle, the procedure is performed awake with local tumescent anesthesia and light sedation, and your care includes a personal medical evaluation and appropriate monitoring before, during and after surgery.
Awake, with local tumescent anesthesia
Dr. Khan performs the Brazilian butt lift awake. The donor areas are numbed with tumescent local anesthesia, and light sedation helps you stay relaxed and comfortable throughout. You avoid general anesthesia, you can communicate with her during the procedure, and you go home the same day.
Whether the awake approach is right for you depends on the areas being harvested, the extent of the plan and your medical history. Dr. Khan reviews this with you at consultation.
How awake surgery works
Who it may suit
You may be a candidate if…
- You have enough excess fat in donor areas to support a meaningful transfer, or you are open to a petite BBL with a subtle result.
- Your weight has been stable for at least six months and you are in good general health.
- You don’t smoke, or you are willing to stop before and after surgery, since smoking affects fat survival and healing.
- You can follow the sitting and positioning restrictions during the first weeks of recovery.
- You may be a candidate if these apply, and Dr. Khan confirms candidacy in person after assessing your fat distribution, skin quality and medical history.
Candidacy is confirmed at your consultation, after an examination and a review of your medical history.
Model What to expect
- 01
Consultation
About an hour with Dr. Khan to review your goals, examine your donor areas and buttock shape, and talk candidly about realistic volume, the awake approach and the specific risks of BBL.
- 02
Your plan
A written plan covering the donor sites, the anticipated transfer, pre-operative instructions and what to arrange at home, including a BBL pillow and help for the first days. Pricing is reviewed with your plan.
- 03
Procedure day
After the tumescent solution takes effect, fat is harvested with a thin cannula, purified and placed in the subcutaneous layer of the buttocks. You rest briefly and then go home the same day with a compression garment.
- 04
Recovery and follow-up
You avoid direct pressure on the buttocks for the first few weeks, sitting only with a BBL pillow. Dr. Khan follows your healing at scheduled visits, and established surgical patients have a direct way to reach her after hours.
Recovery
Healing takes time, and it varies.
The first few weeks are about protecting the transferred fat while it establishes a blood supply. That means no direct pressure on the buttocks: sleeping on your stomach or side, standing or walking when you can, and sitting only on a BBL pillow that offloads the area. Many patients return to desk work within one to two weeks if they can stand or use the pillow.
Swelling in the donor areas and the buttocks settles over several weeks, and light exercise returns before strenuous activity as Dr. Khan clears it. Some of the fat is reabsorbed in the first few months, and the shape that remains behaves like the rest of your body fat, changing with your weight. Final results typically become apparent several months after surgery.
Risks and limitations
What you should know before deciding.
Every surgery carries risk. These are the ones most relevant to this procedure; Dr. Khan reviews your personal risk profile and the alternatives with you before anything is scheduled.
- Fat embolism, in which fat enters a blood vessel and travels to the lungs or heart. This is the most serious risk of a BBL and can be life-threatening. Placing fat only in the subcutaneous layer, never into the muscle, is the main technique used to reduce it, but no technique removes the risk entirely.
- Partial reabsorption of the transferred fat, with less volume than planned or asymmetry between sides
- Oil cysts, firm lumps or contour irregularities in the buttocks or donor areas
- Infection, bleeding, fluid accumulation (seroma) or blood clots
- Prolonged swelling, numbness or changes in skin sensation
- Reactions to the local anesthetic or sedation
- The need for a second procedure to add volume or refine the result
Before & after
Before & after results.
Before-and-after photographs for brazilian butt lift are not currently featured on this page. Explore the patient gallery to view available results, or ask to see cases like yours at your consultation.
Every photograph in the gallery is one of Dr. Khan's own patients, shared with consent. Individual results vary.
FAQ
Brazilian Butt Lift questions
Every answer here is general information. Your own plan, risks and recovery are discussed in person at your consultation.
How much bigger will my buttocks be after a BBL?
That depends on how much donor fat you have, how your body retains the transferred fat and your starting shape. Some fat is reabsorbed during healing, which is expected and planned for. Dr. Khan aims for natural proportion rather than maximum size, so patients with more donor fat can see a larger change, while those with limited fat should expect a more modest one. She assesses your donor areas at consultation and gives you an honest picture.
Where does the fat for a BBL come from?
From liposuction of areas where you carry extra fat: commonly the abdomen, flanks, lower back, inner or outer thighs, and sometimes the arms or bra roll. Those areas are contoured in the same session, which is part of why a BBL changes the whole silhouette. Dr. Khan selects donor sites based on where you have enough fat and where contouring will most improve your proportions.
Is the BBL really done awake?
Yes. Dr. Khan performs it with local tumescent anesthesia in the donor areas plus light sedation, so you are relaxed and comfortable without general anesthesia. The awake approach suits many patients, but it depends on the extent of your plan and your health history, which is why she reviews it with you in person.
What makes a BBL risky, and what does Dr. Khan do about it?
The most serious risk is fat embolism, where fat enters a vein and travels to the lungs or heart. The technique most associated with that risk is injecting fat into or beneath the gluteal muscle. Dr. Khan places fat only in the subcutaneous layer above the muscle, which is the approach recommended to reduce that risk. She also plans conservative volumes and evaluates your health carefully beforehand. No surgery is without risk, and she will walk you through all of them before you decide.
When can I sit normally after a BBL?
For the first few weeks you avoid direct pressure on the buttocks, which means sitting only on a BBL pillow, sleeping on your stomach or side, and standing or walking when you can. Sitting restrictions ease gradually as healing progresses. Dr. Khan gives you positioning instructions and a pillow and adjusts the guidance to how you are healing.
What does a Brazilian butt lift cost?
Pricing depends on how much liposuction is needed, how many donor areas are treated and whether you combine it with another procedure, so Dr. Khan provides a personalized estimate at consultation. The fee generally covers the procedure, anesthesia, compression garments, a BBL pillow and follow-up visits. Financing is available through Cherry, PatientFi and CareCredit.
Related reading
- Why More Women Are Choosing Awake Plastic SurgeryHow awake surgery under local tumescent anesthesia works, which procedures may be done awake at Empowered, and when general anesthesia is the better choice.
- Planning Your Recovery: A Practical Timeline for Surgical PatientsHow to plan time off, help at home, compression garments, staged activity, months of swelling and scar maturation, and when to call after surgery.
Request a consultation
Talk through brazilian butt lift with Dr. Khan.
Consultation fees are currently waived. Plan on about an hour with Dr. Khan, in person in Sugar Land or virtually, to talk through goals, candidacy and the approach that fits you.
Book a Consultation Online Request a Consultation
New patients can book a consultation; existing patients can book a treatment, follow-up or post-op visit. Opens PatientNow’s secure booking page in a new tab.
Call (281) 716-3224 · Mon–Fri 9 AM–5 PM · Sugar Land, Texas · Virtual consultations available