Could fat transfer go wrong?

Question

Hello, Can death be caused due to too much fat injected in breast at once? There was a young healthy girl that died on the operating table in Miami Florida undergoing a Brazilian butt lift with a borad certified surgeon. She died from a pulmonary embolism. What could cause a patient to get a pulmonary embolism during surgery?

Lawrence Iteld, MD · Answer

Every medical procedure has some inherent risk. Our job is to minimize variables to make the surgery as safe as possible. The vast majority of complications like you described, and tend to get lots of press coverage, are performed under non-ideal circumstances. It is important that prospective patients do their homework and only go to surgeons who are American Board of Plastic Surgery Board Certified (the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery is not a recognized accrediting body), and that the procedure is done is proper setting. Under these conditions, the surgery will be as safe as possible and if you have any complications, they can be addressed immediately with a high degree of skill.

Luis A. Cenedese, MD, FACS · Answer

Fat transfer to the breasts is associated with different risks than the Brazilian Butt Lift. The procedure related risks of breast fat transfer are the formation of oil cysts and infection. Injection of conservative amounts of fat, in precise small amounts throughout the breast may minimize this occurence.
Pulmonary embolus and death have been reported in 1 in 1000 BBL procedures presumably secondary to fat entering larger veins in the gluteal region. This may be related to injection of large amounts in the wrong areas under pressure.
Please use this information when consulting in person with an experienced Board Certified Plastic Surgeon prior to making treatment decisions.

Could fat transfer go wrong?

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Could fat transfer go wrong?

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