Risk and Reward: Public Perception of Gluteal Fat Grafting Safety

This study aims to understand how sociodemographic factors influence perceptions of "Brazilian Butt Lift" (BBL), the cosmetic procedure with the highest reported mortality rate, among adult women. We also investigate whether education about risks changes willingness to receive this procedure.

A Qualtrics© survey including education about BBL was administered on Amazon Mechanical Turk, with inclusion criteria of female sex.

Survey data from 489 female participants were included. 78.1% of participants found the BBL mortality rate to be higher than expected. 70.1% of the original 177 willing or neutral participants became unwilling to undergo a BBL after education. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that individuals who were more willing to undergo BBL after education were individuals who have a diagnosis of body dysmorphic disorder (OR 60.5, p = 0.02) or have an acquaintance who received a BBL (OR 230.2, p < 0.01).

Overall, survey participants were less willing to undergo BBL after learning its risks, indicating the critical role of patient education during informed consent. Additionally, individuals who are unhappy with their body shape, or who feel cultural or social pressure to attain a certain body shape, may accept higher levels of risk to improve their looks, suggesting patient motivation for the procedure may limit even the most effective informed consent process. In light of these findings, the surgical community may consider regulating the BBL procedure and improving safety using evidence-based risk reduction techniques. Ensuring that patients fully understand the risks associated with the BBL procedure is critical for both surgeon and patient.

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