How to find out if a plastic surgeon has had any reported deaths?

Question

Where would I go to see if a certain plastic surgeon has ever had any reported deaths? I was interested in a plastic surgeon and read on this website that a young lady died last year while undergoing a BBL... so that freaked me out because I was very close to going with him for my BBL. So now while I'm looking for my next plastic surgeon I would like to know if they have ever had reported deaths. Any websites that can help me with this?

Donovan Rosas, MD · Answer

The topic of BBL related deaths has tragically been in the spotlight as of late even being featured on the cover of the June issue of Plastic Surgery News.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 the recent 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 (PSN June 2017) to examine this elevated risk profile. 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 use larger blunt cannulas (4 mm or greater) and aspirate 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.
With regards to your specific question, according to AAASF data the risk of death from BBL will range from 1:3000 to 1:6000 (subcutaneous grafting will reduce this risk relative to intramuscular grafting). By comparison the risk of fatal complication from abdominoplasty is 1:13,000.With regards to your specific question, there is no database of cosmetic surgery related deaths. However, I would recommend discussing your concerns with your surgeon. Additionally, reaching out to your local state licensing board may provide further guidance.
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.

Frederick G. Weniger, MD, FACS, MBA · Answer

Thank you for your question. At this time there is no database of cosmetic surgery related deaths. However, I would recommend consulting with a board certified plastic surgeon. I will attach a link for you to perform a search. Best wishes.

How to find out if a plastic surgeon has had any reported deaths?

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How to find out if a plastic surgeon has had any reported deaths?

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