Several deaths were reported over the last year due to
fat embolism that occurred after fat transfer to the buttocks.
The patients, Heather Meadows and Ranika Hall, were both undergoing procedures to augment
the size of their buttocks with the use of fat in a clinic in Miami, Florida.
Fat transfer to the buttocks, also known as the Brazilian butt lift,
is a commonly performed procedure nowadays that is associated with few risks and complications.
However, fat embolism is mentioned among these risks and this was the cause of death for these two patients.
Fat embolism is the obstruction of a pulmonary artery.
Once the artery is obstructed, the level of oxygen in the blood decreases and the pulmonary pressure increases.
Fat embolism caused by big chunks of fat can determine sudden death,
usually within 30 minutes after the symptoms occur.
Even small emboli of fat can trigger permanent damage to the heart and lungs
even if they don't cause immediate death.
Fat embolism causes inflammation of the lungs.
As the medical examiner declared,
the patients who have undergone fat transfer to the buttocks died as a result
of fat getting into the bloodstream during surgery.
While preferred by many patients due to its multiple benefits -
natural results, a short recovery period, and the lack of foreign bodies such as silicone prosthesis -
fat transfer to the buttocks is a procedure that should always be performed by an experienced and
board-certified plastic surgeon to reduce the risks and potential complications.
Fat transfer to the buttocks involves the combination of liposuction performed on the donor areas
and the reinjection of fat into the buttocks to add volume.
Fat embolism is a possible complication of any fat transfer procedure.
When it comes to fat injected into the buttock,
the fat is injected in the subcutaneous tissue and also inside the muscle.
The muscle is very vascular, so the risk of fat embolism can occur.
Any plastic surgeon who performed this procedure needs to understand
how to treat immediately and also needs to have a safe technique to decrease the chances of this happening.
You need to understand that this is a complication that can occur
even with the most experienced plastic surgeon.
An experienced plastic surgeon can significantly decrease the complication using proper technique,
nevertheless it can still happen to anybody.
