Former Miss Argentina and mother of twins, Solange Magnano, died Sunday from complications arising from a gluteoplasty (better known as a “butt lift”). The apparent cause of death was a pulmonary embolism (blockage of an artery in the lungs) that was caused by the injectable filler used in the procedure. In this case, the filler material that was used traveled to her lungs and brain, eventually resulting in her death, after three days in critical care in a Buenos Aires hospital.

Magnano won the Miss Argentina crown in 1994, and had remained popular throughout the country with a runway show scheduled for December. She leaves behind her 7-year old twins with family and friends saddened and shocked by the news.

Plastic surgery has become increasingly popular in Argentina as well as in many other areas of the world. With the costs of cosmetic procedures significantly lower in other countries, there has also been a rise in “cosmetic surgery tourism” for those in the U.S. seeking less expensive cosmetic procedures. Problems that can arise from this practice are directly related to the less stringent safety regulations found in certain parts of the world.

However, it should be noted that with all surgical procedures, there are standard risks that are inherent. These risks can be in the form of infection and other complications that have, in the past, even resulted in the rare possibility of death.

Just two year’s ago, the mother of hip-hop artist Kanye West, Donda West, died after complications arising from cosmetic surgery involving liposuction and breast augmentation. In this case, there were pre-existing conditions that were ignored, even with her original doctor’s advice.

Because of this, in honor of her death, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger passed the “Donda West Law,” a legislation which makes it mandatory for patients to provide medical clearance for elective cosmetic surgery.

The important thing to remember is that even though these examples of tragic deaths are extremely rare, there are certain guidelines that should be followed when seeking a cosmetic surgery procedure.

Choosing the right doctor is critical to reducing potential surgical risks and complications. Your criteria should involve the surgeon’s experience (how many surgeries of that type has he or she performed?). What percentage of patients experience complications in that particular practice? What are those complications? Has the doctor’s license or malpractice insurance ever been revoked?

Also, you should be in good health with no pre-existing conditions that might put you at risk. Lastly, it is of the utmost importance that you follow all of the instructions and advice given by your doctor. By being diligent in your research of a reputable physician and understanding the potential risks of your procedure – the safety factor of the surgery increases by a substantial margin.

The most common buttock-modifying injection is the Brazilian butt lift. This kind of surgical procedure combines liposuction around the buttocks and injections of fat into the butt. Basically, fat is harvested through liposuction from selected parts of the body.

The gathered fat is then processed and purified, then re-injected to the buttocks. Depending on the amount of augmentation the patient needs, a significant number of injections may be needed.

The usual sources of the fat are the area around the buttocks, the back (right above the buttocks), the thighs and the abdomen.

This procedure requires a significant amount of fat from the patient’s body. Some small, thin women, however, do not have adequate amounts of donor fat on their bodies to be used in the Brazilian butt lift surgery. If this is the case, the other butt augmentation option would be butt implants.

Many doctors recommend butt implants only if the patient is very tiny and have no body fat stored in the abdomen or flank area. Butt augmentation through fat injection is more advisable because the fat being used is the patient’s own natural substance. This fact lessens the risks of infection and allergic reactions compared to having implants.

An additional benefit of the fat injection procedure is having a much leaner abdomen because of the liposuction. Thus, you will have a more gorgeous figure.

Butt implants involve the surgical insertion of artificial implants into the buttocks so that their size and shape are enhanced. If you are considering implants instead of the Brazilian butt lift, you should choose a surgeon you can trust so that you can have a safe and effective procedure. Ideally, the doctor should have enough experience and has completed a residency program that includes instruction in buttock implants.

While there are potential risks with butt implants, as with any surgery, there are many benefits one can get as well. If done successfully, butt implants can give a larger and shapelier bottom. Implants can also provide a more proportionate figure.

A Brazilian butt lift is one of the most common surgical procedures. In this butt augmentation process, fat is removed from different parts of the body through liposuction. The harvested fat is then purified and re-injected back to the buttocks.

After the fat purification process, only the best donor fat cells are injected back into the buttocks. This means only a fraction of the harvested fat is used.

The process of fat re-injection consists of scores and hundreds of injections. The goal of this procedure is to fill the upper quadrant of the butt so that it looks lifted and fuller. The result is a more attractive and perky bottom.

Patients choose to have a Brazilian butt lift for a variety of reasons. Some simply want to have a more prominent and good-looking back side, while others think that a butt lift would help correct a rear that lacks character. Either way, this butt enhancement surgery can greatly improve one’s self-confidence and appearance.

Other candidates are those who have lost weight and would like to restore their fine curves and shapely figure. There are also some who have trouble improving their rear with exercise.

Ideally, however, a good candidate should be full grown – at least eighteen years old. Also, the patient should be in good physical health because a Brazilian butt lift is a major undertaking and there is a substantial amount of pain one would feel. It would also be better if the patient chooses this surgery for realistic goals.

During the butt lift pre-operative consultation, the doctor usually discusses the patient’s goals to determine if there are any factors that would prevent the patient from undergoing the surgery.

Furthermore, since the process involves suctioning fat from selected body parts, it would not be advisable for thin women that do not have enough fat on their body to perform the butt lift procedure. In cases like these, the other butt augmentation procedure to use would be butt implants.

It’s been thought about in many terms. Some humorous, some more serious. But whether you’re interested in the specifics of the shape of your posterior or whether you’re just thinking of a “larger rear end”, self-image is vital to our daily affairs. For those who are curious about the seeming obsession regarding women’s rear ends, stretching back thousands of years beyond the days of the rather uncomfortable bustle of the 19th century, the answer is rather simple.

The shape and movement of a woman’s buttocks (when walking) is thought to be a genetically hard-wired psychological “trigger” to the male of the species. For the male, this indicates a woman’s appropriate biological physical structure pertaining to her child-bearing ability.

To put it in simple terms – a woman’s shapely, well-rounded rear end indicates a desirable reproductive mate. Now if you add to that, all of the media attention received by celebrities such as Beyonce Knowles and Jennifer Lopez sporting curvy bottoms, more and more women are paying attention to their own bodies.

If you find yourself looking in the mirror and you feel that you don’t have the “appropriate” curves to fill out those new jeans, don’t be disappointed, you’re not alone. Fortunately, modern technology can allow us to achieve the provocative curves that nature may have placed temporarily out of our reach. This can be done through one of three methods:

Butt Augmentation

Butt augmentation, known as the Brazilian butt lift, is performed to enhance curves through fat injections. The fat can be removed by a “gentle” liposuction process from areas around the outer areas of the buttocks, thus initially enhancing the shape of the buttocks. The fat cells can also be removed from other places such as the waist, legs or arms, as needed.

The fat cells are then processed and injected through a small incision called an intergluteal incision, which is an inconspicuous vertical incision made between the buttocks. Since the body’s own fat is used to give the buttocks a shapelier look and feel, the body’s rejection of foreign substances is not an issue. The process usually takes about an hour and does not require any inpatient treatment.

Butt Implants

While butt augmentation has the advantage of using the body’s own natural fat, some people do not have enough fat in their bodies to transplant. Therefore, the alternative may be butt implants, usually made of silicone. This is a more invasive process but most butt implant surgery is performed as an outpatient procedure and you’ll be able to return home within a few hours of surgery. Some patients may be concerned with implants breaking, but this is an extremely rare occurrence.

Gluteoplasty

Gluteoplasty lifts the butt by tightening the patient’s skin in the hips and upper hamstring areas to give the buttocks a higher, tighter look. This procedure is ideal for those who have lost skin elasticity due to aging or extreme weight loss. While this procedure may help reduce the appearance of cellulite or sagging skin, gluteoplasty alone will not make the buttocks appear rounder.

Therefore, gluteoplasty may be performed in conjunction with other butt augmentation methods. There is also the consideration of the necessary downtime associated with this procedure. There may be a 24 hour hospital stay and, on the average, patients are advised not to sit for a week after surgery. There are also pre-operative considerations such as not smoking and the avoidance of certain medications prior to surgery.