Official Statement from the AACS
August 22, 2023
AACS Applauds Recent Florida BBL Decision
The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS) strongly commends the Florida legislature, Governor Ron DeSantis, and the Florida Board of Medicine (BOM) for their ongoing commitment to promoting patient safety in Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) surgery and applauds the recent legislative decision to allow licensed and properly trained Florida physicians who safely perform this popular procedure on a routine basis to continue without further additional restrictions.
AACS leadership is proud to have had the opportunity to work with the Florida legislature and Board of Medicine, as well as the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery (ABCS), and a very strong and committed Florida constituency, to ensure that the citizens of Florida have access to safe cosmetic surgery—not only BBL surgery, but any and all cosmetic procedures. The Legislature’s and Medical Boards’ actions serve as a referendum to the high regard that our associated organizations possess in Florida.
As the world’s largest multi-specialty home for physicians dedicated to cosmetic surgery and aesthetic medicine, the AACS is fully focused on training and educating physicians with patient safety at the forefront.
AACS President Alex W. Sobel, DO, FAACS, comments, “The AACS was founded, and exists, to support cosmetic surgery patient safety through education, training, and experience. Our commitment to safety in BBL has included several dedicated educational programs, a joint position statement published along with the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery in the American Journal of Cosmetic Surgery, and workshops in safety in BBL surgery with ultrasound. We look forward to presenting our next program, also focusing on ultrasound-guided BBL surgery, on February 21, 2024, before the AACS’s 40th Annual Scientific Meeting in New Orleans on February 22-24, 2024. Patients de-serve access to safe cosmetic surgery performed by skilled surgeons in safe environments of care – we are truly proud to be part of this important decision.”
About the recent Florida ruling, Miami-based cosmetic surgeon Michael J. Rodriguez, MD, FAACS, notes, “We are pleased that the Florida legislature has resolved this issue so that Florida’s physicians know the rules and can follow these guidelines to ensure patient safety in performing BBL procedures.”
To learn more about this issue, read here and here.
About AACS Fellowship programs: Educating for Patient Safety
AACS offers two types of Certified Fellowships, one in General Cosmetic Surgery and one in Facial Cosmetic Surgery. These Certified Fellowships are post–residency programs involving advanced education and hands-on training in the art of general cosmetic surgery and facial cosmetic surgery respectively, focusing on patient safety.
Through the General Cosmetic Surgery Certified Fellowship, training fellows, who are already accomplished surgeons in their primary surgical specialty, work alongside or serve as direct assistant in an average of 800-1,400 major cosmetic surgery procedures involving the face, breast, body, and skin.
Through the Facial Cosmetic Surgery Certified Fellowship, training fellows work along-side or directly assist in hundreds of major facial cosmetic procedures, including blepharoplasty, rhytidectomy, and rhinoplasty, as well as procedures like brow lifts, skin resurfacing, liposuction, chemical peel, hair transplantation, fat transfer, and facial im-plants, among others.