— Fatalities frequently involved Brazilian butt lifts
by
Sophie Putka, Enterprise & Investigative Writer, MedPage Today
January 25, 2024
There were 93 deaths among U.S. residents who traveled to the Dominican Republic (D.R.) for cosmetic surgery from 2009 through 2022, according to findings in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
While there were a mean of 4.1 deaths after cosmetic surgery from 2009 through 2018, that number rose of 13 during 2019-2020, with a peak of 17 in 2020, Elizabeth Bancroft, MD, of the CDC’s National Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases in Atlanta, and colleagues reported.
Among a subset of the deaths that occurred during peak years, most “were found to be the result of embolic events (fat emboli or venous thromboembolism) for which a high proportion of the patients who died had risk factors, including obesity and having multiple procedures performed during the same operation,” the researchers wrote.
The researchers noted that the deaths were largely tied to gluteal fat transfer, which is also known as the Brazilian butt lift (BBL). MedPage Today has previously reported that in surgical circles, the BBL is known as the deadliest aesthetic procedure ever performed. Deaths tied to the procedure frequently involve pulmonary fat embolism, where fat globules travel through the bloodstream and cut off circulation.
Medical records were available for 24 of the 29 deaths that occurred in 2019-2020 — and gluteal fat transfer was performed in the majority of these cases (92%). Autopsy reports were available for 20 of the cases with medical records, and 90% of the deaths were due to embolic phenomena, including fat emboli or venous thromboembolism.
All 24 of those patients were women, who had a mean age of 41 years and a mean BMI of 32. Comorbidities associated with increased risk of venous thromboembolism were reported in 92% of cases. Liposuction was performed in all cases, and a mean of three procedures — including gluteal fat transfer, abdominoplasty, and breast augmentation — were performed for each patient during surgery.
The D.R. has become a popular medical tourism hub because of lower costs and shorter wait times, as well as its pr