Am I still able to undergo a BBL if I have an autoimmune disease?

This will depend upon the severity of the MCTD. In lupus specifically, certain organ systems of the body may be affected. Any organ damage that the lupus has caused as well as the medications that you take must be evaluated carefully by your rheumatologist before even considering the BBL. You will need medical clearance from your rheumatologist as this disease has a very variable presentation and course.
If you obtain clearance from your rheumatologist, the medications taken will have to evaluated carefully as well to optimize healing and prevent possible wound breakdown or other complications.

In order to get good answer to this question you should have your internal medicine or immunology specialist involved in evaluation. Once you have that cleared, your plastic surgeon should communicate with that specialist and evaluate risks involved. Good luck.

Dear Sof27,
it is hard to tell for sure without an examination. Your condition should be under control and you will need a clearance prior to surgery. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to 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

Hello dear!!
Thanks for the question and provided information as well. Please talk to your primary doctor to get clearance for plastic surgery and then I suggest you book a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss the best options for your goals.
Hope this is helpful. Good luck :)

The best answer to your question is to have your surgeon contact your private physician or immunologist for their expertise. This is the safest option for your sirgery.
Dr. T

I think you just answered your own question. One doctor said he’s comfortable doing it and the other said he is not. So obviously there’s some concerns from plastic surgeons but in the end you need to ask yourself if you were willing to take the increased risk.

My best guess is that a well-controlled autoimmune condition in remission that doesn’t require medications is in reality pretty small increased risk for having serious medical complications.

Regardless, the person to talk to about this is your rheumatologist not plastic surgeons. Plastic surgeons need to be comfortable doing the procedure but the person most knowledgeable about your condition and the potential increase in surgical complications is still your rheumatologist. That is why plastic surgeons will ask for medical clearance from your rheumatologist since they know the condition better.

It also makes sense to confirm that you’re a good candidate for the procedure in the first place.

It doesn’t make sense to take any risk and especially not increased risk if the outcome of the procedure isn’t going to deliver what you had hoped for in the first place.

It’s easy to get excited looking at the best before and after pictures posted on social media. In reality not everybody is a great candidate for getting a great outcome and knowing what is possible and it’s not possible should have a big impact on the decision to have the procedure especially if there’s increased risks involved.

Best, Mats Hagstrom MD