Khaberni - Buttock augmentation surgeries to emulate celebrities like Kim Kardashian and singer Cardi B, saw a significant increase of about 63% globally between 2020 and 2024, with plastic surgeons performing more than 644,000 buttock lift operations this year alone, 2025, according to international data.
However, the buttock lift procedure has become the most regretted procedure of 2025, according to an expert in cosmetic surgery.
How is the surgery performed?
According to "Daily Mail", during a buttock lift procedure, surgeons first perform liposuction from areas such as the stomach and thighs to gather the necessary fat. This fat is then purified and carefully injected into the buttocks to increase their size and give them a more rounded and attractive shape.
Patients must then secure the fat by reducing movement, which generally increases weight.
With the growing popularity of this procedure, there has also been an increase in patient regrets, as explained by Dr. Fuad Yuksel, a cosmetic surgeon at Longevita in Britain, with the main complaint from patients being: "The result did not meet my expectations".
Psychological dissatisfaction with the results
Yuksel explains: "Although the result may be completely safe and anatomically correct, it may differ from what the patient might have imagined, which can lead to psychological dissatisfaction."
On the other hand, many cosmetic surgeons emphasize the dangers of buttock augmentation surgeries, due to the possibility of a fatal fat embolism, which could occur if the fat is accidentally injected into a deep muscle vessel, transferring it to the heart or lungs, causing a sudden cardiac arrest.
Despite its risks, buttock augmentation surgeries remain popular, with about 30,000 procedures performed annually in the United States, for instance.
According to Dr. Yuksel, many patients enter the operating room with unrealistic expectations. "In reality, there is a safe limit to fat transfer, and the body will naturally absorb a large portion of it during healing."
"For this reason, the final result may not match the exaggerated looks often seen on the internet. There are many misleading images and unrealistic examples on social media, which can easily distort patients' expectations," he explained.
Variability of results according to the individual
"However, each person's physiology is unique. Therefore, not everyone can achieve the same results."
Many women, including celebrities, have expressed regret about undergoing buttock augmentation surgeries.
Grammy Award-winning singer Sza said: "I'm so mad that I did it. I gained all this weight from being stationary during my recovery period and trying to maintain the fat. It was ridiculously earnest."
Reversal surgery
Singer Cardi B recently revealed that she underwent a surgery to reduce the size of her buttocks. She said that doing so would require large incisions and a strenuous recovery period of 3 months."
Cardi B said: "So, it's more like: I won't put myself in this situation again because I don't like my body. I'm comfortable. I've learned to live with it."
In the second and most crucial stage of this surgery, the reinjection is dependent on placing the fat precisely in the fat layer above the muscles to avoid the risk of a deadly fat embolism, which could occur if it is injected into deeper muscle tissues.
Anatomical limitations
Here, Dr. Yuksel clarifies: "Patients must realize that anatomical limitations make it impossible to replicate the exaggerated results often seen online."
He continues: "This is exactly why the role of the surgeon is crucial in providing proper guidance, managing expectations, and clearly explaining the expected outcome to avoid regret after the surgery."
