I'm 27 years old. Interested in a BBL with history of blood clots. Is it too risky?

Dear Peaceful763976,
it is hard to tell for sure without an examination. You will need to get a clearance from your doctor prior to surgery. If you are considering surgery, I would suggest you consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination, you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Hi, thank you for sharing your question. If your PCP and hematologist have both cleared you for surgery, your plastic surgeon will be able to assess the risk and take their recommendations into consideration before giving you the optimal solution. I think it will be safe for you to proceed.

Since this is elective, not urgent or emergent, surgery, I would not approve you. The reason is if doing liposuction the potential for blood loss from the surgery is enough to be concerned that if adding blood thinning medications it would absolutely require blood transfusions. Therefore no elective surgery needing blood transfusion is acceptable.

If you are not already taking blood thinners, then you are correct in that blood thinners would be warranted after surgery. Once you have had a discussion with your surgeon regarding your past medical history and he or she gives you medical clearance, then a safe BBL known as Safe California Ultrasound Assisted Buttock Augmentation (SCUBA) performed at my practice will minimize your risk of developing a potential embolism.

The optimal BBL 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

Hello and thanks for your question. I would be somewhat wary of letting my family member go through with this procedure with history of blood clots, however, the use of blood thinners will drastically reduce your chances of developing a clot. Also, you can wear compression socks and make sure you are walking every 30 minutes or so post-procedure for a couple weeks. There are many things you can do to reduce your chance of developing blood clots. Ask your specific doctor their opinion. If they are willing to do it, I would not worry. Just follow the protocol they provide to you, and maybe go above and beyond just because of your history. Please see a board-certified physician for your consultation. Best of luck to you!

Sincerely, James Fernau, MD
FACS Aesthetic Surgery Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery Certified, American Board of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery Member: American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS) American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) American Academy of Facial Plastic Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery (AAOHNS) American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) The Rhinoplasty Society