The Brazilian butt lift is a common surgical beauty procedure intended to make the backside appear fuller. This procedure has the highest mortality rate among beauty treatments, as the process can result in fat embolisms. The Brazilian butt lift involves liposuction from areas of the body with excess fat, then the fat is purified and injected into the backside. In this surgical cosmetic procedure, the danger of fat embolism lingers, as the fat globules (round particles of fat) enter the bloodstream. This can block blood vessels, potentially leading to severe complications, including respiratory distress and even death. This complication is exactly what happened in the recent case with an NYPD Detective, Alicia Stone, whose death occurred from a Brazilian butt lift procedure in Colombia.
It's paramount to understand that the Brazilian butt lift has side effects, as the surgical procedure is becoming increasingly common. With the advent of digitization, easy access to cosmetic procedures, body dysmorphia and other mental health disorders, and varied beauty trends incessantly crowding our social media feeds, the Brazilian butt lift is being co-opted as the go-to cosmetic procedure.
What Is A Brazilian Butt Lift?
During the Brazilian butt lift surgery, the medical professional transfers the fat from the hips, stomach, or arms, and transfers the fat to the backside. There are three stages that are involved in the surgical process:
- Liposuction of fat: The excess fat is removed from the hips, thighs, stomach, and lower back through a small tube (cannula).
- Purification of fat: The extracted fat is purified and prepared for injection.
- Fat injection: The purified fat is injected into specific areas of the buttocks to make them appear fuller and make them appear fuller.
Surgeons inject more fat than is needed, as most fat doesn't survive the transfer process. This results in the formation of fat embolisms that can significantly increase the rate of complications and mortality for patients. While there are some benefits to the cosmetic procedure, the risks outweigh them. Let's discover what benefits and risks you need to be aware of.
What Are The Benefits Of The Brazilian Butt Lift Procedure?
The surgical beauty procedure is performed after an extensive round of testing and making ensure the patient can handle the procedure. This procedure is fairly common among women as it paves the road to becoming appealling (mostly in the eyes of social media perhaps).
Here are the benefits of a Brazilian butt lift:
- Natural results: Using your own body fat to enhance the buttocks results in a more natural look and feel compared to synthetic implants.
- Body Contouring: The removal of excess fat contours the body into an ideal body shape.
- Long-lasting Effects: The procedure can result in weight fluctuations as the removal of fat takes place. This means you need to follow proper guidance from medical professionals to mitigate the side effects. Proper maintenance and adherence are the keys to maintaining the body's condition.
Is The Brazilian Butt Lift Procedure Dangerous?
The frequent presence of fat embolisms in the process of Brazilian butt lifts makes for a case to be vigilant and hyper-aware of the risks. The main risks associated are as follows:
- Surgical risks: The margin of human error is greater for a Brazilian butt lift, and choosing an experienced surgeon is of utmost importance to determine the success rate.
- Recovery risks: The post-recovery from a Brazilian butt lift requires the person to not sit for prolonged periods to allow healing from the swelling and discomfort.
- Candidate suitability: The body mass index of ideal people should be around 20 to 30, as a certain amount of fat needs to be present for the procedure to be successful.
- High mortality rate: 1 death among 4,000 procedures, as per the figures in The National Library of Medicine (2023).
New Safety Guidelines: How Have More Recent Brazilian Butt Lifts Changed
The new safety guardrails and regulations are put in place to minimize the rising death cases. These include tweaking the use of the subcutaneous fat injection and using ultrasound for guidance while giving the fat injection for enhanced accuracy.
Brazilian butt lift costs a great deal which influences people's decision to have the procedure in locations which can influence their recovery time and quality of the Brazilian butt lift.
While it can be argued that the Brazilian butt lift is a risky surgical beauty procedure, the changes in its process show promise. But with a healthy sceptical mindset, people should consider the various factors that can go wrong, as there are safer alternatives to getting a Brazilian butt lift to accentuate beauty and achieve a beauty ideal that is trending.
Disclaimer: This content, including advice, provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
References:
Pazmino P, Garcia O. Brazilian Butt Lift-Associated Mortality: The South Florida Experience. Aesthet Surg J. 2023 Feb 3;43(2):162-178. doi: 10.1093/asj/sjac224. PMID: 35959568; PMCID: PMC9896146
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