South Florida has become the capital of the country of Brazilian butt lift surgery, as women from all over the world flock to Miami-Dade County to undergo this highly sought-after procedure — also known as surgical cycles as the “deadliest cosmetic surgery ever”.
Deadly — because if the doctor accidentally injects fat into the blood vessels, instead of the buttocks, the patient could die.
Between 2010 and 2020, 25 people lost their lives after doing a Brazilian butt lift in South Florida, more than anywhere else in the country. And 2021 was the state’s deadliest year, with eight South Florida women dying of fat embolisms after the surgery.
Just in March, a 33-year-old mother of five from Tennessee died after a butt lift procedure in Brazil had at Seduction Cosmetic Center in Coral Gables, Florida, in June 2021. According to a lawsuit filed by her family, the doctor punctured Erica Russell’s liver, bladder and intestines, leading to her death from cardiac arrest .
But if there wasn’t already enough risk to deter potential patients, researchers have found another deadly threat surrounding the popular procedure — a bacteria called Nontuberculous mycobacteria, or NTM infection.
ONE report released in January by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlights a case of NTM infection discovered in a patient who had a buttock lift in Brazil in 2022. A subsequent investigation revealed a total of 15 cases of NTM infection in nine states in patients undergoing liposuction procedures at the same facility in Florida between August and December 2022 — 12 of which were performed as part of a Brazilian butt lift.
National Library of Medicine notes that bacteria are introduced when surgical instruments or implants come into contact with unsterile surfaces or water. Bacteria can grow in the deep layers of tissue, especially fatty tissue with poor blood circulation, which can lead to abscesses or hip damage.
In all 15 cases, the patients were treated with oral and intravenous antibiotics for about two to six months. Some also required additional surgeries to drain wounds and remove dead or infected tissue.
According to the CDC report, the outbreaks were due to “multiple errors in infection control and prevention.”
At the facility in question, the Florida Department of Health “found gaps in infection control, including cleaning practices, use of personal protective equipment, and disinfection of surgical devices, that can contribute to the transmission of NTM.”
South Florida’s obsession with Brazilian butt lifts
While Kim Kardashian denies having a Brazilian butt lift, over the years many patients have been inspired to have the procedure because of her noticeable rear.
Over the past 10 years, South Florida has gained a reputation as the center for cheap butt lifts performed in offices that quickly deliver patients, occasionally with fatal consequences.
It is estimated that doctors in Miami-Dade County perform 15,000 to 18,000 Brazilian butt lifts annually at an average cost of between $4,000 and $15,000, depending on the surgeon’s experience level, the type of anesthesia used and the facility’s fees.
In March 2023, Mark Mofid, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon who authored a major study on butt lift death rates in Brazil, said MedPage Today, he knew a colleague who performed 10 to 12 such procedures a day, for about $3,000 to $3,500 each.
But in 2022, the Florida Board of Medicine issued an emergency rule limiting butt lift operations in Brazil to three per day per surgeon to prevent fatigue. And the state’s first plastic surgery law, HB 1471, went into effect on July 1, 2023, mandating that doctors performing buttock fat grafting must use ultrasound guidance to ensure the fat is injected only into the subcutaneous space and no further deep.
- MORE: Florida Lawmakers Move to Regulate Dangerous Butt Lifts in Brazil
Before the end of the 2024 legislative session, both houses of the Florida Legislature voted matching accounts aimed at giving the Department of Health enhanced enforcement powers over practices that perform certain liposuction or buttock fat grafting procedures, commonly referred to as Brazilian butt lifts.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has until May 10 to make a decision — either signing it into law or vetoing it.
