*Brazilian Butt Lift surgery is said to have significant side effects many years after a patient undergoes the procedure.
Patients seeking to enhance their derriere turn to Brazilian butt lift surgery which is a procedure that harvests excess fat from other areas of the body through liposuction and transfers it to the buttocks.
“Fat cells are removed via liposuction from the abdomen, hips, thighs, or lower back,” George Bitar, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Washington, DC, tells SELF. “The extracted fat is then purified and strategically injected into specific parts of the derriere to help patients achieve their desired size and shape.”
Alex Earle, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Miami and president of the World Association of Gluteal Surgeons, said “Contouring the body in this way makes a BBL a very impactful procedure that can transform someone’s shape in ways that simply aren’t possible with butt exercises alone.”
READ MORE: Rikers Corrections Captain Dies Days After Brazilian Butt Lift from Shady Doctor
BBLs have become a billion-dollar industry, but they have also been labeled the most dangerous cosmetic procedure due to the wave of recent reports of patient deaths from undergoing BBL. According to 21ninety.com, studies show that major risks of the surgery could manifest years later. Some long-term risks include:
- severe infection
- pain
- lumps under the skin in the areas suctioned or injected
- loss of skin in the treated areas due to deep infection
- fat embolism in the heart or lungs, which can be fatal
Other long-term risks include contour irregularities and if implants are used, they could become dislodged.
Many risks associated with BBLs show up immediately, while others take many years to manifest. In 2018, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) issued a statement warning about the risks following a slew of deaths linked to BBL surgeries.
Butt augmentations performed by unlicensed providers can lead to serious infections and deformities. In those cases, “illegal substances are often placed into the buttocks, which can cause infection or death,” Dr. Bitar tells Self.
“For example, silicone is FDA-approved for breast implants but not for use in the buttocks, and silicone injections have been shown to cause inflammation and infection, among other complications,” Bitar added.
“If the surgeon is inexperienced or doesn’t have a good sense of anatomy and goes too deep into the muscle, the fat can end up injuring the superior and inferior gluteal arteries,” said Dr. Earl. “These blood vessels have a direct route to the heart, so if they’re injured and fat gets into them, that fat can go into the heart and lungs and the patient can die immediately.”
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
