Medical Associations Warning Doctors and Patients to Steer Clear of Problematic Plastic Surgery Procedure
At a press briefing for October’s Clinical Cosmetic Reconstructive Expo in London, the start time was delayed. When the briefing finally began, a representative of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) explained to the journalists that a second British woman had died this year after undergoing a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL). This news preceded the announcement that the association was warning surgeons not to perform the procedure due to the riks.
photo/ Sasin Tipchai
The Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS) also issued a similar warning, noting that “the mortality rate for BBLs is estimated to be one in every 3000 operations — meaning it has a higher rate of death than any other cosmetic procedure.”
Clearly, ample rear ends are a hot commodity in 2018, and also big business for cosmetic surgeons. This reflects the general trend that cosmetic surgery is becoming more popular. Almost 1.8 millions cosmetic surgeries were performed in 2017 alone, reflecting a two percent increase from 2016. In terms of the BBL, according to an American Plastic Surgery Statistics report, at least 14,705 buttocks augmentation procedures using fat grafting were performed in 2015 which represents a 28% increase from the number of surgeries performed in 2014.
While most of these surgeries go as planned the BBL has acquired the reputation of being particularly risky. The BBL procedure has resulted in alarming death rates, estimated to be as high as 1 in 3,000 which far surpasses the rate for other cosmetic procedures.
The BBL procedure usually involves extracting fat from a part of the body such as the stomach and then grafting it onto the buttocks through surgical incisions, resulting in a more voluptuous rear end. However, are the risks worth the results? That’s what many experts and doctors are asking.
Like all surgery, cosmetic surgery, even the procedures deemed “safer” than the BBL comes with risks. Langer & Langer malpractice attorneys warn that cosmetic surgery should always be regarded as a serious and invasive “medical procedure.” Patients need to do research to ensure that the doctor performing the procedure is a board certified plastic surgeon with the proper experience, credentials, and facility – especially before undergoing a procedure that is known to be especially risky, the the BBL. Otherwise, the risk of something going wrong is just too high.
Author: Jacob Maslow
