What are some tips to having a safe BBL surgery?

Question

I’m very interested in getting a bbl but I’m scared of the complications that you often hear about, so I wondering the best tips you would have to have the safest bbl surgery

Donovan Rosas, MD · Answer

Fat embolus is a very serious and known complication of fat transfer (which has been recently spotlighted in the media). While it is true, injection of donor fat into the infra-muscular plane (within the muscle) increases fat viability, this does come with a significant increase in risk. There are large vessels deep to and within the muscle which can be inadvertently injected while grafting leading to a fat embolus. The consequences of such a complication are very serious and life threatening.
At American Society of Plastic Surgeons Hot Topics (2016), data from AAAASF (ambulatory surgical certifying body) was presented, suggesting that BBL/gluteal lipoaugmentation demonstrates a dramatically higher risk profile than other surgeries. The Aesthetic Surgery and Educational and Research Fund has convened a task force as well. The hope is that we will have more concrete guidelines for addressing these very serious complications.
That being said, the safest way to avoid fat emboli is to stay in the subcutaneous plane (at the expense of fat viability) and avoid the deeper muscular plane. If grafting of the deep plane is planned, surgeons should consider blunt cannulas and aspiration prior to injection. Using a supra-gluteal approach to minimize the risk of inadvertent intravascular injection has also been proposed. While this will likely impact graft viability negatively, it will also lower the risk of a serious complication.
According to AAASF data the risk of death from BBL will range from 1:3000 (subcutaneous grafting should reduce this risk relative to intramuscular grafting). By comparison the risk of fatal complication from abdominoplasty is 1:13,000. It is unclear how the relative risk falls with subcutaneous injection vs. intramuscular injection (however, in all likelihood, it is less).
No result is worth risking one's life for. I find that the patients who focus not on the volumization but rather the contouring benefits of the liposuction are happier than those whose sole goal is size. Relatively speaking, the subcutaneous plane is the "safe" plane.
In summary, the procedure can be safely performed, however, they should be performed by a board certified (ABPS) plastic surgeon with experience. These risks should be discussed as well as the strategies being employed to avoid them.

Emmanuel Mallol Cotes, MD · Answer

Thank you very much for the question. The most import tip that I can provided to you is to be treated by a board certified plastic surgeon to perform this procedure and will give all the pre-op advise that you need.Kind regards,Dr. Emmanuel Mallol Cotes.-

What are some tips to having a safe BBL surgery?

Answers (2)

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Brazilian Butt Lift

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

What are some tips to having a safe BBL surgery?

Answers (2)

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Brazilian Butt Lift

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.