Complications From Fat Grafting and Gluteal Augmentation in Outpatient Plastic Surgery: An Analysis of American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF, QUAD A) Data

Abstract

Abstract Background Gluteal augmentation with autologous fat grafting, colloquially referred to as Brazilian butt lift (BBL), is an increasingly common procedure with a highly reported complication profile. Objectives In this study we aimed to analyze the prevalence and characteristics of complications that accompanied these surgeries at ambulatory surgery facilities. Methods Adults patients who experienced fat grafting complications from 2019 to 2021 were identified in QUAD A, formerly known as the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF, Highland Park, IL, USA), database. Patients and complications were analyzed based on sociodemographic, surgery-, and facility-specific variables with descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results Overall, 436 fat grafting procedures with complications were reported to QUAD A, with an overall complication rate of 0.94%. Of these complications, 164 (37.6%) were confirmed to be from gluteal augmentation procedures. Notably, the number of gluteal augmentation with fat grafting complications decreased from the year 2019 (48) to 2020 (36), then nearly doubled from 2020 to 2021 (69). The majority of patients were female (96.7%), with a mean age of 42.0 years and a mean BMI of 28.3 kg/m2. Wound infection was the most commonly documented complication (22.3%). Of the patients who experienced complications, 35.9% presented to a hospital for their complications and 12.6% required reoperation. Four deaths were described. There was no association between sociodemographic or surgical variables and increased odds of readmission or reoperation (P > .05), except for increasing surgeon number and reoperation (P = .02). Conclusions Gluteal augmentation accounts for a large proportion of complications from fat grafting procedures. Increased reporting requirements may aid in future determination of incidences of complications and improve patient safety. Level of Evidence: 3