Ask Dr. Pane! When should I stop smoking and drinking alcohol before getting a Brazilian Butt Lift surgery?

Modern medicine has tools and techniques available which were science fiction a decade or two ago. 3D animation to show how a real patient will likely look after a body procedure, advances in compression garment technology, new fat grafting methods which enhance fat survival rates and many more developments in the world of plastic surgery have combined to make cosmetic surgery safer and more effective, with a more natural look and contour, than ever before. However, patients’ personal habits remain one of the most important factors in minimizing the risks associated with any plastic surgery procedure and the overall results, and this is one of the few factors a plastic surgeon has no control over whatsoever. An example of this is the focus of this week’s Ask Dr. Pane segment, taken from a live Instagram chat back in August. Ashanti says, “I smoke and drink. How long should I be completely sober before BBL [Brazilian butt lift surgery]?”

Dr. Pane notes there are a couple of different issues in play here. For cigarette smokers, it’s better to abstain for at least two weeks before surgery, and he typically prefers patients stop smoking at least 30 days prior to any kind of procedure. There is a practical reason for this, which could well be a literal matter of life and death: when you stop smoking 10 days-two weeks prior to surgery, your body produces more secretions as it works to get the tar, chemicals and residual toxins in tobacco out of your body. (This is also true of vaping!) These secretions, in turn, make it trickier for the anesthesiologist to do their job correctly. By having a full 30 days’ minimum lead time before your BBL surgery, it will be easier and safer for both the anesthesiologist and the patient.

From a healing standpoint, nicotine is a vasoconstrictor, meaning it causes the body’s blood vessels to shrink. Even “one little cigarette” makes the heart work harder to get blood where it needs to go and reduces the blood’s payload of healing factors and nutrients. In addition, the particulates put off by smoking can adversely affect the healing process. For this reason, Dr. Pane recommends refraining from smoking for at least four to six weeks after surgery. Dr. Pane points out that ACA’s patient profile has a much lower incidence of post op complications, and the ones which do occur are almost universally minor. This is partially due to the techniques Dr. Pane and his staff use for Brazilian butt lift procedure, but part of it is the high degree of patient adherence to postoperative instruction for best results, such as avoiding sitting on the area for prolonged periods of time and so on.

The same basic rules apply to drinking alcohol, although Dr. Pane notes “light use” is probably okay. Going on a bender prior to surgery is probably unwise, and getting bombed the night before is almost certainly a bad idea! Much like nicotine or any other recreational substance, you should avoid alcohol for at least two weeks preop, with 30 days+ being better if possible, and for at least four to six weeks postop.

Not only is the use of alcohol, nicotine and various recreational substances harder on the recovery process, which increases recovery time, but they may also prevent you from being able to undergo the butt lift procedure or any other treatment at all! Patient  Depending on the substance and the circumstances surrounding the patient with regards to medical history, it could lead to a full cancellation if the preoperative tests reveal anything which could compromise the safety or efficacy of the anesthesia or the surgery as a whole. We’ve had patients fly in for their procedure, book a hotel room, arrange for postoperative care and learn during preop testing that they cannot go through with the surgery.

Dr. Pane also points out that some prescription medications, vitamin supplements and OTC medicines can produce false positives in this sort of screening, so they are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. One of the best ways to counter this problem is to be sure to fully and honestly disclose any medications, recreational substances (including marijuana, for our purposes here) and/or drinking and smoking habits during your initial consult with Dr. Pane, so these can be screened for properly during preoperative testing.

Atlantic Coast Aesthetics is committed to your safety and success at every step of your journey to the body you’ve always dreamed of! To learn more about how ACA and Dr. Pane can help you achieve the look you want, click here to contact us or give us a call at

561-513-4763. You can also submit a question for Dr. Pane and the ACA staff through our social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Remember, at ACA we believe the only bad question is the one you DON’T ask!