Which is considered safer - tummy tuck or BBL? I'm concerned about blood clots.

Hello,Although the tummy tuck has a higher rate of blood clots, only a fraction become life threatening emboli that lead to death (clots that travel upstream to the heart and lungs are known as emboli).  Fat grafting of the buttocks has a lower rate of blood clots/blood clot emboli, but has a higher risk of fat emboli leading to death. Although BBL is all the rage, it is the most dangerous cosmetic operation, so much so that ASPS has created a task force to investigate why and how to make it safer.  This is something people have not been hearing about enough. 

As with any surgery, there are risks and benefits.  Both BBL and tummy tucks have been associated with emboli that can result in death.  Fortunately, this is a rare event but it IS a risk.  There are other risks associated with these procedures as well.  I would suggest that you schedule one or two appointments with a board-certified plastic surgeon who can examine you in person and review these risks and your other options with you.

You ask a great question.  You need to talk to your Plastic Surgeon to see what his personal history is.  In general, Tummy Tucks have the following complications :  1) Scars - prominence, wideness, hypertrophy, and location2) Fluid Collection under flap - seromas3) Ischemia to edge of Abdominoplasty flap4) Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism - more common when Liposuction is done at same time.BBA1) Swelling2) Inadequate augmentation3) Fat Emboli - and possible Death

Blood and fat emboli are both potential post-operative complications with Abdominoplasty and large fat transfer. Pre-operatively, Plastic Surgeons order blood tests and obtain a good history and physical exam to assess all potential post-operative complications. Also, there are post-operative precautions both physical and medical -that are used to reduce these post-operative risks.

Tummy tuck has a higher risk of blood clots. Not only during the surgery, but for weeks after at home.Medical clearance is very important for risk factors. We use blood thinners in many- lovenox- along with early and often out of bed, fluids and no smoking.BBL can have some risks as well, but not as high for blood clots.An exam and consultation with a plastic surgeon is recommended to discuss your options and expectations. 

TT has the highest risk of blood clots.Kenneth Hughes, MD, Board Certified Plastic SurgeonLos Angeles, CA

Tummy tucks and liposuction both have a low chance of blood clots.  Most surgeons will give you blood thinners and use compression devices to minimize the risk of blood clots.You should not decide which surgery based on this but rather based on your individual needs and your discussion with your surgeon.

Regarding blood clots, a patient would be more at risk with a tummy tuck than a Brazilian butt lift (BBL). This is because of the increased tension in the abdomen from repairing the separation of the rectus muscles (the six-pack muscles). However, for decades of performing tummy tucks, I have had only one patient with a pulmonary embolus, and she subsequently did fine.
Early mobilization of patients is key to reducing the risk of blood clots with TT's. Also other measures are used such as sequential pressure hoses, which keeps the blood flowing nicely in the legs and pelvis. Mobilizing the patient early is easier with the No-drain TT, which I highly recommend.
The emboli problem with a BBL is fat emboli. There have been a fair number of these reported in the recent past and several plastic surgery panels discussing the problem. It appears to have occurred more frequently with assembly-line be BBL's, using cannulas that are too small, injecting fat too deeply into the muscles with the cannulas, entering from the wrong direction, and not being careful. 
The risk of both fat and blood clot emboli can be minimized when great care is taken with any procedure and recommended protocol is followed. 
Thank you for your very interesting question. I hope my answer has helped you somewhat.

A tummy tuck has a higher risk of blood clots due to the mechanics of the procedure with an increase in intra-venous pressures due to the plication in conjunction with venous pooling from general anesthesia.  BBLs have their own inherent risk which involves fat embolism.  The risks of both are low, but there has been a lot of news generated by a string of BBL-related deaths in Miami and within the context of international medical tourism.  The paper by Mofid et al. found that aggressively injections into the deep submuscular level and cannulas smaller than 4mm were linked with death.  I inject into the subcutaneous tissues and superficial muscle only using a large, blunt tipped injection cannula and do so gently and while withdrawing.  Some doctors recommend using ultrasound to mark the gluteal vessels prior to the procedure which I agree with.  In the Southeastern US, there are several BBL mills that do up to 12 cases a day operating up to and beyond midnight.  Doing too much surgery and rushing through the procedure is another obvious risk factor at play.  Choose your surgeon and practice wisely and feel free to ask about complication rates and/or deaths.

The best would be to post few pictures for better evaluation. The indications for each different and some patients are candidates for both. Please see the link