Just last week, a task force backed by international board-certified plastic surgeon societies issued a warning after finding as many as one in 3,000 patients will die on the operating table during a Brazilian butt lift procedure.
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The group believes some doctors are being too aggressive during the procedure and are injecting too deep into the buttocks, causing a fat embolism where fat travels up to the heart and lungs.
Surgeons' group: Brazilian butt lift most dangerous surgery procedure
Doctors warn of potential risks from popular butt lift surgery procedure
Now, a Houston plastic surgeon is taking the warning a step further.
The "BBL" combines liposuction with fat grafting, meaning it sucks fat out of a place where a patient doesn't want it and then injects it into the patient's butt to create a fuller, more protruding backside. It's a look that's en vogue with Hollywood-types.
Requests for BBL's make up more than 70% of Dr. Patrick Hsu's clientele at Memorial Plastic Surgery. Though a bigger, better backside doesn't come cheap, costing on average across the country between $5,000 and $12,000.
Dr. Hsu warns those who might be considering the plastic surgery to stay away from cut-rate alternatives to surgery, like injections.
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"There are individuals, they're not even physicians or doctors, who are cruising around all of the major cities and they are doing these procedures in a hotel room, in a basement and they're injecting people with either Fix-a-Flat, silicone," warned Hsu. "There are all sorts of substances that are being injected into the body in order to try to enhance the buttock. What happens is these patients wind up with either skin necrosis or massive infections or massive deformities," he said.
While some people may not immediately suffer adverse side effects after a bogus injection, Dr. Hsu says they are bound to have complications down the road.
Dr. Hsu says those considering a Brazilian butt lift need to do their homework and look for a board certified surgeon in addition to asking questions about technique.
To check out Dr. Hsu's work, go to www.MemorialPlasticSurgery.com.
To read more about the BBL warning, go to www.Surgery.org. (PDF File)