BBL infections PLEASE HELP!

Hi and great question. I appreciate the time you are spending researching this procedure.  I know tone can get lost in an email.  I am not angry, upset or trying to be negative in the below response.  I am simply being passionate and am concerned about the health and safety of a number of individuals.    First, infections are a real risk to surgery and they will happen a given % of time.  That is why complications/risks are told in %.  I wish there was some way to avoid any and all risks/complications 100% of the time; but there just is not.    With the increasing medical tourism, I believe you will see a significant increase in the number of negative complication/risks to surgery.  Why?  Because the very questions you are asking regarding sterility and making sure things are clean and run to protocol are the jobs of certifying entities.  And in many cases at the medical tourism locations they DO NOT EXIST.  Why?  Because they incur a cost and expense.  These costs & expenses then make the surgery more costly.  As individuals try to get increasingly competitive and offer ultra-low surgery costs something needs to get cut expense wise and most of the time that is quality control, additional instruments, and/or the cost of sterilizing medical equipment.  The old phrase, "You get what you pay for" is extremely valid in these points.The last thing is selecting a Residency Trained and Board Certified Plastic Surgeon.  Why would I bring this up?  Because even within the United States and on these Discussion Boards, I hear people raving about physicians that were Family Doctors or Primary Care Physicians that decided to start doing Cosmetic Surgery.  They have ZERO RESIDENCY TRAINING in Operative Procedure Protocol, Sterile Procedure Protocol, and/or Surgical Technique Protocol.  It is crazy.  What if I decided to be a Nuclear Physicist without any training and run a Nuclear Plant...bad idea with bad consequences.   I hope that helps. Let me know if you further questions. Best of Luck! Sincerely,
Matthew J Nykiel, MD
Butt Augmentation Specialist
Cosmetic Surgeon
Board Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon
#RealSelfCoreDoctor
#RealSelfTopDoctor

Hello redmimi,Thanks for your question.BBL infections have never happened in my personal practice experience.  That being said, there are several conditions that exist that may enhance the chance of infection.1. Smoking slows down healing and increases the chance of other complications including infection.2. Diabetes affects the immune system, and diabetics are more likely to develop post-surgical infections.3. Poorly nutrition before and after surgery affects how a patient will heal and this can increase the chance of infections.When I prepare fat grafts before injecting them into the buttocks, I always wash the grafts with saline and antiobiotic irrigation to protect the grafts in those important first few days after surgery.  Microinjections of fat increase the chance that they will get a good blood supply and survive.  If fat doesn't survive, it is more likely to get infected if the body can't absorb it quickly.  Aggressive icing of the buttocks helps lower the metabolism of the fat cells so they can tolerate the time it takes to develop the new blood supply and survive at a higher percentage.All surgery carries risk, but if your surgeon is well-trained and takes the necessary measures, your chance of developing an infection with BBL surgery is very low.I hope this helps.Dr. Shah

Thank you for your question. Unfortunately infections can happen with any kind of surgery and patients who are unhealthy, diabetic and smokers are at much higher risk for infections.  When someone is deciding to have elective surgery, one should seek out a board certified plastic surgeon that performs the surgeries in an accredited center. Hope this helps. 

Hello, Everyone has complications...BUT there are many non certified "doctors" doing procedures in non accredited facilities these days. I recommend doing your homework, choose a board certified plastic surgeon who operates at an accredited surgery center or hospital. That alone should decrease your odds of having a complication. Good Luck.

Thank you for your question. With every surgical procedure, infections are a risk. As surgeons, we take as many precautions as possible to prevent infections because a post-op infection can be a devastating complication. That being said, there is no such thing as 100% in medicine. If you are concerned about infections, your best bet is to make sure your procedure is being done by a board certified plastic surgeon (certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery) and to make sure the procedure is being done at an accredited surgery facility (inspected and certified by either a state agency or surgery facility inspecting institution). You can ask your surgeon about the steps he or she takes to prevent infection, but even in the most cautious of surgeons, the risk of infection is never zero. The only true way to prevent a complication from a procedure is to not have the procedure. Best of luck!