BBL Safety Update: AACS Supports New Florida Bill Mandating Ultrasound-guided BBL Surgery

The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS) strongly commends the Florida legislature for its ongoing commitment to promoting patient safety in Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) surgery and applauds the recent legislative decision that mandates the use of ultrasound guidance during BBL.  

BBLs are known as the deadliest plastic surgery procedure, and the majority of the deaths have occurred in South Florida. Most of the deaths that have occurred were a result of injections that go deep and into the muscle. When fat grafts have inadvertently been injected into the gluteal muscle, the fat has traveled to the heart, lungs, and brain.  With ultrasound guidance, however, surgeons can stay in the subcutaneous layer. 

As of July 1, 2023, Florida physicians who perform gluteal fat grafting must use ultrasound guidance to see that fat is injected only in the subcutaneous space and never into the muscle. 

AACS leadership worked with the Florida legislature and Board of Medicine, as well as the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery (ABCS), and the Florida constituency to ensure access to safe cosmetic surgery. 

 “Our commitment to safety in BBL has included several dedicated educational programs, a joint position statement published along with the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery in the American Journal of Cosmetic Surgery, and workshops in safety in BBL surgery with ultrasound,” says AACS President Alex W. Sobel, DO, FAACS, in a news release, 

The organization is planning a presentation on to ultrasound-guided BBL surgery before the AACS’s 40th Annual Scientific Meeting in New Orleans on February 22-24, 2024. 

 “We are pleased that the Florida legislature has resolved this issue so that Florida’s physicians know the rules and can follow these guidelines to ensure patient safety in performing BBL procedures,” adds Miami-based cosmetic surgeon Michael J. Rodriguez, MD.