Gluteal fat grafting, more commonly referred to as the popular Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) procedure, has resulted in an alarming rate of mortality, estimated to be as high as 1:3,000, a rate of death far greater than any other cosmetic surgery.
In response to these unusually high figures, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, International Society of Plastic Regenerative Surgeons and the International Federation for Adipose Therapeutics and Science, formed the Task Force for Safety in Gluteal Fat Grafting with the goal of conducting studies to develop specific safety guidelines. The task force, which represents plastic surgeons worldwide who are board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), issued an advisory to surgeons this week, urging discussion of these risks with patients and providing additional recommendations for the safe performance of the procedure.