Ultrasound Guided BBL to prevent fat embolisms - is it really safer?

There are multiple safety precautions surgeons can and should take for this procedure.

Do use of ultrasound is not standard because most plastic surgeons don’t find it necessary or useful.

It sounds to me like the provider is trying to differentiate himself which is not uncommon in a competitive field of cosmetic surgery.

There is not been a recent evaluation of the incidence of fat embolism after the American Society of plastic surgeons encouraged providers to instigate their list of safety measures for this procedure.

It’s been a long time since I heard of this complication and I believe the incidence is far far lower than previously reported for multiple reasons. Primarily because surgeons are aware of the complication and have instigated safety precautions.

I recommend choosing a provider based on having multiple in person consultations.

During the consultation ask each provider to show their entire collection of BBL results.

Truly experienced providers should have no difficulty showing 50 or more sets of BBL before and after pictures. highly experienced providers should have several hundred. The second variable that differentiates the most desirable providers is the absence of justified negative reviews on various physician review websites.

A collection of before and after pictures that reads like a telephone book with the absence of justified negative reviews and all the various physician review websites usually equals the golden ticket for consistent high-quality outcomes.

Personally I think ultrasound is unnecessary and will not add any significant safety to your procedure.

Pick the right provider and everything falls into place. Choose providers based on reputation, skill and experience.

Best,

Mats Hagstrom MD

Ultrasound identifies the muscle plane. By staying superficial to the muscle you avoid fat being placed into potential vessels. The superior and inferior epigastric vessels are are at high risk for fat being injected into the vascular space with subsequent fat embolism to the heart which can led to death. Patients need to be aware of this potential catastrophic circumstance.