The demand for Brazilian Butt Lifts has surged in recent years. On platforms such as Tik Tok, the hashtag #BBL has 6.3 Billion views. That doesn’t even include the plethora of other similar hashtags like #BBLeffect which has 320 Million views. However, it is no secret that the media has spread that BBLs are a very dangerous procedure. The notion that attaining a perfect body outweighs logic is reason is an ode to the 21st century. We have Plastic Surgeon, Dr Edward Chamata, here to break this statement down for us.
While we all know what a Brazilian Butt Lift is when asked why this procedure is dangerous Dr.Chamata had this to say, “The most feared complication of this surgery is “fat embolism”, meaning the fat injected can get into a vein and travel to the lungs, which can be potentially fatal.” While every surgery offers a potential risk, a July 2017 report by the Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation in Aesthetic Surgery Journal revealed that one to two out of 6,000 BBLs resulted in death, the highest mortality rate for any cosmetic surgery. Dr.Chamata further explained the severity of the surgery, “This happens when the fat is injected too deep into the vessels below the muscles of the buttock.”
The good news is that it appears over the last 10 years the knowledge on Brazilian Butt Lifts has grown exponentially. Dr.Chamata assured us that the lack of proper surgical knowledge and techniques is far behind us. He explains, “Now because of drastic improvements in safety measures and surgical technique, this surgery is very safe when performed by an experienced surgeon. The newest data shows that the mortality rate is actually less than that of tummy tucks, which is an extremely common plastic surgery procedure performed!”
Some other procedures such as rhinoplasty are also pretty safe these days. But be aware that some require general anaesthetic. So consider this if you don’t like the idea of being knocked out. Additionally, some procedures go wrong, and you may wake up with a catheter and tubes coming out from everywhere. Never go cheap and always source procedures from a very reputable clinic.
While it’s wonderful news to hear how rapidly the surgical community improved in this field, it’s still a shocking component that individuals are leaving the country or going to high risk facilities to receive this procedure at a lower cost. “Just because someone does a great breast augmentation, does NOT mean they are trained or skilled enough to perform another surgery such as a BBL.” says Dr.Chamata. This is a wake up call to remember to do the research; most physicians and surgeons have specialites that they spent years training in. It is easy to assume you can trust the title of Doctor but make sure your surgical goals align with their surgical skills. Having a consultation, preparing questions, and checking their website information, reviews, or even instagram are all great ways to determine if the doctor may be right for you.
Another critical factor to consider when searching for a doctor is if they are a plastic surgeon or a cosmetic surgeon. Dr.Chamata informs us, “The difference between these two relates to what surgical training they have undergone previously. Plastic Surgeons have typically 3-6 years of surgical training in the field of plastic surgery, while cosmetic surgeons typically have 1-2 years of plastic surgery training.” Cosmetic surgeons were originally in one field of study before they began transitioning into plastic surgery so this original practice could be family medicine physicians, OBGyn surgeons,ect. To reiterate they only require 1-2 years of plastic surgery training. This is an informative piece of information that needs to be more accessible to people considering a BBL surgery. Dr.Chaata warns us again, “This is why it’s so important to do your research on your surgeon before choosing them to operate on you. This ensures that you are in safe hands!”
The truth is the surgical world has quickly evolved with the demand for this body perfecting surgery. All surgery comes with potential risk but as medicine, technology and education improve the risk of BBLs has decreased drastically. It is always beneficial to have a detailed debrief of a procedure’s past, present, and future stats.
Dr.Chamata sends us away with a final statement, “BBL surgery is not a risky operation when done by an experienced surgeon with the proper training!”. Always ensure you are equipped with the knowledge to make an informed decision.