In Spain, The number of surgical operations has more than doubled in the last decade. In our country, more than 300,000 interventions are carried out every year, according to recent data from the Spanish Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (SECPRE), a … increase of 215% over the last decade.
There women represent 85% of casesbut demand is increasing among men and young people, driven by social networks and trends. And while surgery, and medicine in general, is generally dedicated to those who suffer from a pathology; Plastic surgery, on the other hand, is often performed on healthy people motivated by the desire to improve your appearance.
The lack of stricter regulations worries experts, who warn of irreversible consequences when operations are not carried out in optimal conditions.
The cosmetic surgeries that Spaniards undergo the most
Among the most popular procedures, breast augmentation tops the list with up to 32% of operations on women, followed by liposuctioni.e. approximately 10 to 13.5% in both sexes and approximately 12,000 annual interventions in them. They follow the blepharoplasty (for the eyelids), rhinoplasty, abdominoplasty And gynecomastia in men. He butt lift rose 56.8%, fueling the furor around the BBL, which promises perfect curves but hides pitfalls.
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Breast augmentation (mammoplasty): One of the most requested procedures by women, often to improve size, shape or correct sagging.
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Liposuction: Highly requested by men and women to eliminate localized fat, particularly in the stomach area.
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Blepharoplasty: Eyelid surgery to rejuvenate the eyes by removing excess skin.
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Rhinoplasty: Corrects the shape and size of the nose, sometimes combining aesthetics and improvement of breathing.
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Abdominoplasty: removes excess skin and abdominal fat, common after pregnancy or weight loss.
In this context, cosmetic surgeon Miguel Saldaña, accustomed to seeing complications in consultation, issued a warning in one of his publications on digital platforms: Liposuction is, by far, the most dangerous surgery in the aesthetic world.. The expert emphasizes that this type of intervention presents “a much higher rate of serious problems and complications than other surgical techniques”, making it one of the operations that require the greatest caution when choosing the surgeon and clinic.
In him, the one combines liposuction with buttock augmentation using own fatknown as BBL (Brazilian Butt Lift), increases the risks at an alarming rate. Although many people consider this procedure simple and routine, Saldaña explains that it is performed very close to major blood vessels, which can lead to serious complications such as fat embolisms or perforations if impeccable protocols are not followed.
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What is this? A procedure to improve the shape and size of the buttocks by injecting the patient’s own fat.
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How does it work? Liposuction to extract fat from excess areas (stomach, hips) then purify it and graft it to the buttocks.
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Benefits: Increase in volume, lifting, better body contour, natural result.
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Variations: This can also be a glute workout routine, popular on social media.
The risks of liposuction are real and are not limited to bruising or swelling. In BBL, the rate of fat embolism can reach 0.05%, and venous thromboembolism 0.3%, both potentially fatal, notes the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, because long surgical procedures, lasting more than five hours, or injections into the buttocks increase the risk of thrombosis up to 10 times. Added to this are infections, fat necrosis or asymmetric results, which require revisions.
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Contour anomalies. Your skin may appear uneven, wavy, or weakened due to uneven fat removal, poor skin elasticity, and scar formation. These changes may be permanent.
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Fluid buildup. Temporary collections of fluid can form under the skin, also called seromas. They may need to be drained with a needle.
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Numbness. You may experience temporary or permanent numbness in the treated areas. Nerves in the area may also be irritated.
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Infection. Skin infections are rare, but probable. A serious and potentially fatal skin infection.
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Internal puncture. Rarely, if the thin probe used during surgery goes too deep, it can pierce an internal organ. This may require emergency surgery to repair the organ.
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Fat embolism. Fat can break into pieces that become trapped in a blood vessel. These can then accumulate in the lungs or travel to the brain. A fat embolism is a medical emergency.
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Kidney and heart problems. When liposuction is performed in large volume, fluid is displaced. This can lead to life-threatening kidney, heart and lung problems.
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Lidocaine toxicity. Lidocaine is a medication used to help control pain. It is often given with fluids injected during liposuction. Although lidocaine is generally safe, lidocaine toxicity can sometimes occur, causing serious heart and central nervous system problems.
Saldaña does not seek to frighten, but to raise awareness: aesthetics can transform lives, but it requires qualified surgeons, equipped clinics and informed patients.
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