Ensuring optimal safety in Brazilian Butt Lift surgery
A Brazilian Butt Lift is an all-in-one procedure that not only enhances the aesthetics and contour of your buttocks, but at the same time removes unwanted fat deposits in other body areas (such as the abdomen, flanks, and thighs), narrows your waist line, flattens your abdomen, defines the curves of the flank and back, and improves the well known waist-to-hip ratio. It involves a lot of technical and anatomical knowledge and skills to perform this procedure in an effective and safe way.
BBL from top to bottom
This all-in-one procedure results in a complete body transformation and emphasises the female silhouette tremendously
BBL-surgery sometimes gets a bad reputation for being a risky operation. Especially the fat grafting into the buttocks has been associated with severe complications. And I have to tell you about them during your consultation. However, like every operation, with the proper training, excellent surgical technique, great pre- and post-operative care, and dedication by the surgeon, BBL-surgery can be performed in a controlled, safe, and highly specialised setting. In order to offer ensure optimal safety in BBL-surgery, recent guidelines were published by numerous respected international societies, including the International Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), The Plastic Surgery Foundation (PSF), The Aesthetic Society, and the Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation (ASERF).
These guidelines are:
1. Training, Credentialing and Privileging Standards.
Gluteal fat grafting should only be performed by surgeons who have privileges to perform that surgical procedure in a country- or state-approved or licensed ambulatory surgery center or hospital.
In my practice, I perform BBL-surgery both in a university and private hospital. Both clinics are in compliance with all the required technical and safety measurements. Furthermore, very strict protocols are set in place to ensure optimal patient safety before, during and after surgery.
2. Real-Time Ultrasound-Assisted Gluteal Fat Grafting.
As an adjunct to the skill and judgment of a qualified surgeon, real-time imaging during gluteal injection is a common-sense step toward ensuring that surgeons are staying above the fascia of the gluteal muscles. The use of ultrasound to ensure delivery of the fat graft in a safe anatomic plane is highly recommended.
There are some big blood vessels running deep to the muscles of the buttocks. If these vessels would be damaged during surgery, the injected fat may enter the blood stream and eventually block the vessels in the lung. This is why BBL-surgery has been associated with a few fatal complications. To ensure that the fat is only being injected in the fatty layer above the muscle (and therefor far away from the blood vessels), I use real-time ultrasound guidance during surgery. The ultrasound allows me to visualise the injected fat at all times and gives me 100% security that I am staying above the muscle.
3. Pre- and Postoperative Care and Oversight.
Surgeons should be actively engaged with their patients before surgery and establish a doctor-patient relationship. Surgeons should manage both standard post-operative care and be available to manage all complications for their patients. This should be the case whether the patient is local or has traveled to undergo the procedure. Surgeons who treat patients at a distance need comprehensive pre- and postoperative clinical care protocols and should be available to directly provide care or participate in managing post-op complications.
Every BBL-surgery requires at least one (and preferably two) consultations beforehand in order to explain the procedure in detail, as well as the pre- and post-operative protocols that need to be followed. My goal at the end of the consultation is that you completely understand what kind of surgery will be performed, how the post-operative course will be and which results you can expect. This counts for both national and international patients. Highly specialised protocols have been set up that are easy and clear to understand, so that you are completely aware of what will happen before, during and after the operation.
4. Ethical Facility Operations.
Untrained or under-trained surgeons, or non-surgeon operative assistants, should not perform critical portions of a gluteal fat grafting procedure, including both injection of fat as well as the fat harvest through liposuction.
BBL-surgery is surgery that requires a high level of technical skills and anatomical knowledge. As the whole surgery happens through a few small incisions, it requires a tremendous amount of focus and dedication of the surgeon to perform the surgery to its perfection. Intensive training is therefor a requirement before offering BBL-surgery to patients. I followed an intensive 6-month additional training in one of the most renowned centers worldwide (Cirumed Clinic in Marbella, Spain) for body-contouring and BBL-surgery and have performed over 300 surgeries during that training. In addition, I attend several congresses and meetings throughout the year to stay up to date on the latest surgical techniques and safety guidelines in body-contouring surgery. This vast experience allows me to offer the best possible care to my patients.
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