BBL-related deaths are often associated with places like Miami, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. However, the UK recently experienced its first fatality when Alice Webb, a beauty industry professional, died after undergoing a nonsurgical Brazilian butt lift, called a “liquid BBL,” at a clinic in Southwest England. Just hours after her procedure, the 33-year-old mother of five was rushed to the hospital, where she tragically passed away, raising serious concerns across the UK about the safety of nonsurgical BBLs.
Featured Experts
- Alan Durkin, MD is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Vero Beach, FL
- Mark Jewell, MD is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Eugene, OR
- Robert Singer, MD is a board-certified plastic surgeon in La Jolla, CA
- Sean Simon, MD is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Miami
A Preventable Death
The procedure Alice Webb underwent involved the injection of fillers, such as hyaluronic acid, which is often marketed as a “safer” BBL alternative. However, as Webb’s case demonstrates, avoiding surgery doesn’t eliminate risk.
While the exact cause of her death is still under investigation, three individuals from the clinic have been arrested in connection with the case. “This is yet another preventable death that could have been avoided with proper anatomic training and procedural visualization,” says Vero Beach, FL plastic surgeon Alan Durkin, MD. “The practitioner either failed to understand the anatomy or lost situational awareness and injected into the muscle plane, which should never happen.”
Eugene, OR plastic surgeon Mark Jewell, MD also stresses the dangers, saying, “This tragedy highlights the risks of injecting tissue fillers or fat into deeper areas where gluteal veins are located. The filler material can migrate into the lungs, causing pulmonary failure. BBL procedures remain the riskiest of all aesthetic procedures.”
Safer BBL Guidelines
In the United States, the Gluteal Fat Grafting Task Force was formed by The Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation (ASERF) to study BBL risks and develop safer techniques. One of their key recommendations to avoid BBL-related deaths and other risks include injecting above the muscle to avoid catastrophic outcomes. “The critical factor is to inject between the skin and the underlying muscle, not into or below the muscle,” explains La Jolla, CA plastic surgeon Robert Singer, MD. “When these guidelines are followed, the risk of complications is significantly reduced.”
“I’ve performed surgical BBLs for over 15 years, with thousands of cases and no embolisms,” says Miami plastic surgeon Sean Simon, MD. “This procedure has garnered a bad reputation because of incidents like this. As with any surgical procedure, the skill and experience of the surgeon are the most important factors.”
According to BBC News, the case has case has caused officials to reevaluate regulatory measures. A UK Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson stated, “We are exploring options around regulatory oversight of the nonsurgical cosmetics sector and will provide an update in due course.”
