As BBLs grow more popular, deaths rise in South Florida

• South Florida has the most BBL deaths in the country, according to a 2022 study in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal.

How it works: One of the most deadly complications from a BBL is a pulmonary fat embolism, where the fat grafts a surgeon injects into the gluteal muscle enter the bloodstream.

By the numbers: There were 25 BBL-related fat embolism deaths in South Florida between 2010 and 2022, per the study.

• About 92% of the procedures were performed at high-volume, budget clinics that are often seen in local strip malls.

State of play: The Florida Board of Medicine issued an emergency order in 2019 requiring surgeons to only inject fat grafts under the skin instead of in the muscle.

What they're saying: Central Florida resident Nikki Ruston, who was hospitalized after her BBL in Miami last July, told KFF Health News that she found her surgeon on Instagram by looking for cost-effective options.

• "If I could go back in time, I wouldn't have had it done," she said.