I’m a plastic surgeon – this is why I would never do a BBL

A cosmetic surgeon said he would “never touch the BBL procedure with a barge pole” – speaking after Alice Webb became the UK’s first victim.

Dr Kasim Usmani, 32, runs his own clinic in central London and performs procedures such as salmon sperm injections and non-surgical nose jobs.

But he says BBL surgery is not a safe procedure and should be avoided at all costs.

He also explained how the procedure was carried out — and said it was “inevitable” a death from the procedure would occur in the UK.

Mother-of-five Alice Webb, 33, died at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital following complications from the procedure in what is believed to be the first case of a death caused by BBL in the UK.

Two people have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

Kasim said: “It is very unfortunate that this happened and it happened because of the lack of regulation.

“I would never touch this procedure with a barge pole.

“It is devastating that a mother of five has lost her life because of this dangerous procedure.”

Kasimi says the non-surgical form of BBL – which Alice is understood to have – involved “an injection of hyaluronic acid” – a natural substance found in fluid in the eyes and joints.

“Filler is then injected into the rear to increase curvature and increase the size of the buttocks as well as improve contouring,” said Kasim.

As well as the procedure being inherently dangerous, Kasim says the added risk comes from the lack of regulation of the cosmetic procedure in the UK.

“It was inevitable that someone would die from this,” he said.

“We always knew if things were out of order, people would get hurt and that’s exactly what happened.

“We have been saying this for years.”

In addition to the possibility of death, Kasimi says other complications from receiving a BBL include sepsis, localized infections, abscesses, tissue death, and embolism — the sudden blockage of a blood vessel by an object such as a blood clot that has traveled from a other parts of the body through the bloodstream

Kasim said: “The list really goes on.

“It is not a safe procedure and even if you do not have any medical problems as a result of it, there are also aesthetic problems that can arise, such as the back fills with fluid and looks asymmetrical.”

According to the UK government: “The current regulatory framework places few restrictions on who can carry out non-surgical cosmetic procedures” meaning there are many practices offering potentially dangerous surgery – something Dr. Usmani thinks he needs to change.

Recently he came across a patient who had BBL done by a hairdresser.

“That was very shocking to see,” he said.

“Buttocks are a high-risk area with a high blood supply.

“Such procedures when performed without proper training can cause life-threatening complications – and we’ve seen the devastating consequences of that this week.”

Dr Kasim urges people to ensure that cosmetic surgery is carried out by someone with a proven track record who is regulated by a professional body such as the GMC or equivalent.