August 07, 2018 | 3 minute read
Fat transfer to the buttocks, more commonly referred to as a Brazilian Butt Lift, has become one of the most desired cosmetic surgeries available today. Women all over the world are anxious to find new ways to attain a curvy, hourglass, feminine physique, and the Brazilian Butt Lift seems to fit that need. The Brazilian Butt Lift shapes, lifts, and fills the buttocks to your desired preference. It does so through fat grafting. Through liposuction, fat is removed from another part of your body, such as the abdomen, hips, thighs, or lower back; this fat is purified and then inserted into the buttock. This procedure allows you to take fat from a place you don’t want it and add it to a place you do. While this sounds like a sure winner, studies of the Brazilian Butt Lift reveal an alarming statistic: the Brazilian Butt Lift has the highest mortality rate of any other cosmetic surgery.
The Multi-Society Task Force for Safety in Gluteal Fat Grafting (ASAPS, ASPS, ISAPS, IFATS, ISPRES) is an organization aimed at conducting anatomic studies to ensure safe practices during these procedures. However, as evidenced in their studies, unnecessary deaths were found to be occurring at alarming rates. Currently, it is believed that the mortality rate associated with the Brazilian Butt Lift is one out of every 3,000 patients. The cause of these deaths is identified as a fatal fat embolism from fat entering the venous circulation. Before you decide to undergo a Brazilian Butt Lift, make sure you are aware of the facts and ready to accept the risks.
It’s Not the Fat That’s Dangerous
Fat transfer has been used in cosmetic procedures for years with the highest level of safety. The Brazilian Butt Lift is not dangerous because of the fat that is used. The fat that is injected is your own fat; your body cannot reject this fat, and it is rare to cause an infection. Instead, it is the placement of the injection that causes the issues with the Brazilian Butt Lift.
Placement Is Everything
In a safely performed Brazilian Butt Lift, the purified fat is injected into the subcutaneous tissue of the buttock. No deaths have occurred when the fat injected remained in the subcutaneous plane, but the results are much less dramatic than injection into the gluteal muscle. Also, avoiding inadvertently injecting fat into the muscle when attempting subcutaneous injections is very difficult. When injected into the muscle, the patient runs the risk of having an embolism. The unacceptably high mortality rate has led Dr. Wilson to the decision to no longer offer Brazilian Buttock Lifts to his patients, as patient safety is his number one priority.
For more information about this or any form of cosmetic surgery, contact Dr. Wilson today by calling (256) 551-2002 to set up a consultation.
