South Florida has become the epicenter of the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) surgeries in the United States. Women from all over the world book flights to Miami just to consult with their top plastic surgeons. Despite measures taken by the Florida Board of Medicine in recent years to make the procedure as safe as possible, eight women have died in 2021 from a fat embolism surgery. To respond to this alarming reality, the Florida Board of Medicine has announced an emergency order limiting BBLs performed by plastic surgeons to three a day.
Rise In Demand For BBLs
Last year’s high death rate of BBLs is a result of a tremendous backlog of scheduled surgeries that could not be performed due to the pandemic lockdown. In 2021, South Florida surgeons saw an increase in patients — both previously consulted clients and new ones.
Fatigue is said to be the cause of death of a 33-year-old woman who died at the hands of Dr. John Sampson last summer. The patient was scheduled for an 8:30 pm surgery, making her his seventh surgery of the day.
Additional Safety Measures
Although this new order expires in 90 days, the board added additional safety measures to prevent fat embolism. Surgeons have been mandated to use ultrasound technology when performing BBLs to avoid injecting fat into the muscle. The objective is to ensure surgeons are placing body fat away from the muscles; as when done otherwise, patients run the risk of death.