BBL has become quite a trend in the current world, but if gone wrong, it can be life-threatening. What happens in BBL fat transfer gone wrong cases? Let’s find out
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According to one of the issues of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 20 out of 100,000 people who underwent liposuction between 1994 and 1998 died due to fat transfer going wrong.
Thus, it is important to gather authentic information about the procedure, tools, and health requisites for undergoing this surgery. This article will help you learn about BBL and all the challenges that come with it.
What is BBL?
BBL, or Brazilian Butt Lift, is an innovative and advanced way of transferring excess fat in one body part to the buttocks to make your glutes rounder and more attractive. It has become quite common in the US for people to undergo this surgery since it looks more natural and harvests fat cells of one’s own body than adding any external tool, which is the case in buttocks implants.
What is involved in a fat transfer operation?
Fat transfer uses excess or unwanted fat from a body area and injects the same in other body sites to enhance its appearance. For example, fat is harvested from your abdomen area and added to your buttocks to make it look more voluptuous. It is commonly used in breast augmentation and plumping one’s lips, but in recent years, BBL has been introduced to transfer the fat in the buttocks to look attractive. See difference between fat transfer and BBL.
There are three stages involved in the fat transfer operation –
- Removal of fat from any body part where it is in excess and/ not needed with the help of cannulas.
- The harvested fat cells are washed, filtered, and purified.
- Finally, the healthy fat cells are injected into the body part where this surgery is needed.
This surgery can be done on both men’s and women’s bodies. The complete recovery takes about 4 to 6 weeks during which you aren’t allowed to sit on your buttocks. Also, it takes about 2 to 4 hours to complete the entire procedure after which, a set of guidelines is provided for you to follow for at least a month.
How safe is a BBL?
BBL, along with other forms of fat transfer, comes with a potential list of unique risks and side effects. Patients can experience swelling/bruising in their buttock region, a feeling of numbness in glutes, blood clots, blockage of muscles, large scars, displacement, and disfigurement if the cells fail to survive the environment, Haematoma, Pneumothorax, etc.
Fat necrosis is another major side-effect of BBL surgery that can appear during or after the butt lift. In case it happens, it is advisable to rely on some home remedies for fat necrosis BBL such as daily exercise, limiting alcohol, taking good rest, minimizing the intake of high-fat condiments like butter and oil, and maintaining cholesterol levels by healthy eating.
In the worst-case scenario, the accumulation of blood results in clots that can travel up to the patient’s lungs and heart, leading to fat necrosis. The affected area, in this case, turns black, and the skin might turn hard or get a dimple. In a more complicated process, getting curves might lead to death. Thus, the long-term effects of BBL are many.
You might like to read: How Long Is BBL Recovery
Can a BBL kill you?
The simple answer to this question is, yes, BBL, can in rare cases, can kill you. As per a report released by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 25 deaths related to Brazilian Butt Lift surgery from 2011 to 2016, Florida alone registered 8 deaths from 2013 to 2018 due to plastic surgery – and that’s just America.
An English woman reportedly died during the BBL surgery after a fat clot blocked her arteries in 2019.
Mr. Mayou, a member of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, explains that there is always a risk of injecting your fat into larger veins if the fat transfer injections go too far lower in the buttocks or the muscle tissue. This fat becomes an embolus. It is possible that the fat may travel with your bloodstream into your lungs, which will certainly lead to death
Even so, celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Cardi B flaunt their rounded rear-ends on social media, which alone attracts millions of people to follow in the footsteps of their idols.
Why is the mortality rate so high?
According to a 2017 survey conducted on more than 600 surgeons worldwide, 32 death cases resulting from BBL fat transfer gone wrong were reported during their career span. They also contend that several cases go unreported.
The leading cause of aesthetic surgeries is a fat embolism, which claims one life amongst every 3000 procedures in the case of BBL lift. As per the research, they result from gluteal blood vessels that suffer damage at the time of the procedure, letting the fat enter the bloodstream.
Thus, it is recommended to inject the buttocks very carefully and avoid going into deeper muscle planes.
However, it has also been noted that breast enhancement surgery injects deep into the muscles, but there aren’t any death cases related to the same. This indicates that other major factors also play a significant role in BBL surgery going massively wrong. If done inappropriately and by inexperienced people, the surgery can also lead to claiming lives during the operation.
You might like to read: Where Is The Cheapest Place To Get A BBL?
BBL fat transfer went wrong – Tips to avoid
In every way, keeping your body healthy and safe is more important than getting those curves, especially if there is a possibility of the fat transfer going wrong. Even so, many men and women (including celebrities) are now choosing butt lifts to accentuate their bottoms. Thus, here are a few things to consider to avoid BBL fat transfer going wrong –
- Check the credentials and experience of the surgeon you are choosing to operate on you. The best pick should be a surgeon who has been certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, which confirms that your doctor has a good experience of performing surgery.
- Consultation/meeting with the surgeon – It is your body, and thus, you should be allowed to ask as many questions regarding the surgery. Go ahead and ask every minute thing that bothers you about the operation. One important question that you can add in this conversation is how to prevent fat embolism during BBL? If your doctor answers the question with calm and confidence, it is a sign that he/she knows her job well.
- Read reviews and connect with people who have gone through BBL fat transfer- Use the power of the internet and connect with individuals who have undergone this surgery. It is a plus if the same surgeon has operated on them. Also, do not forget to read the reviews of the doctor and medical center where you have decided to undergo the BBL.
Is it worth the risk?
Our society is truly obsessed with physical beauty, to the point that people are ready to risk their precious lives with aesthetic surgical procedures.
Even though these surgeries aren’t worth the risk because you never know how your body might respond to them, they will only grow in the coming years. Thus, it is important to keep yourself informed about the pros and cons of this surgery before you go ahead with it.
We hope this article was able to answer most of your questions about how BBL’s might be dangerous if not done by expert medical practitioners and plastic surgeons. Please share your comments and any further questions in the comment box below.
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