49 Y/O, 167 lbs- Been wanting a BBL for several years. How safe is this procedure for a woman my age?

I suggest you have a few in person consultations with local board-certified plastic surgeons so you can get an accurate assessment and better understanding a various cosmetic surgical procedures.

You may not be an ideal candidate for the BBL if you have skin laxity.

The American Society of plastic surgeons came out with a set of safety recommendations to minimize the chance of having fat embolism‘s several years ago. most if not all plastic surgeons in the United States have modified their technique to minimize the chance of having this complication.

I have not heard of a single case since that time but they probably do happen though very rarely.

During in person consultations you can ask each individual plastic surgeon what they do to prevent the complication.

Best,

Mats Hagstrom MD

You are encouraged to consult a board certified plastic surgeon who will take every precaution and ensure you have a safe operation. It is not uncommon for a woman your age to have a BBL done. Using vaser liposuction, your procedure is not only more effective at giving you the results you want, it is safer. If you are a good candidate (less than 5L of fat) for a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL), the optimal outcomes are achieved with: 1) use of VASER liposuction to harvest the fat, 2) a closed looped system such as Puregraft to process the fat, and 3) strategic micro-packet transplant technique. These three processes have demonstrated over 95% fat graft take. This means that your results will be stable as long as you maintain your weight. As an official VASER trainer, I am routinely referred unhappy BBL patients. One of the most common reasons for disgruntled BBL patients is that patients are not able to accurately communicate their desired buttocks goals to their surgeons. A buttocks assessment tool can be an invaluable tool to communicate to your surgeon the exact buttocks size and shape you are desiring. A Skype or FaceTime consultation with a BBL specialist can help you get an accurate recommendation and pricing.

Respectfully,
Arian Mowlavi MD,FACS
Realself 100 Hall of Fame Inductee