Calls for BBLs to be suspended after mother dies

An MP has called for Brazilian butt lift (BBL) procedures to be suspended following the death of a woman.

It is believed mother-of-five Alice Webb, 33, underwent a non-surgical BBL before falling unwell. She later died at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in the early hours of Tuesday.

Two people have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

GP and MP for Stroud, Dr Simon Opher, said the the death of Ms Webb is "absolutely tragic". He also urged people not to have BBLs, as it is unknown whether the procedure is safe.

Gloucestershire Police's major crime team is now investigating and the two arrested people have been released on bail.

One neighbour of what the BBC believes to be the business which carried out Ms Webb's BBL said the police had been at the premises “all day … until yesterday [Wednesday] afternoon”.

BBL is a treatment designed to make buttocks bigger, more rounded or lifted.

Surgical BBLs involve inserting silicone-filled implants and/or removing fat from other parts of the body before injecting it into the buttocks.

Non-surgical BBLs - like the one Ms Webb is believed to have had - involves injecting dermal filler into the buttocks.

The filler is often composed of hyaluronic acid. It is commonly used in facial filling treatments, including lip and cheek filler.

Speaking to the BBC, Dr Opher said his "heart goes out" to Ms Webb's family.

"It's absolutely devastating for her family, for Dane, and for her five lovely children.

"The most important thing is that people gather around and support them.

"Having worked in A&E myself, I know the staff in A&E at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital must also be feeling very, very upset by this," he said.

Dr Opher said any intervention in the body carries "some risk", and that this must be acknowledged, specifically with cosmetic procedures.

In the case of some procedures, large quantities of fillers are injected into the body can lead to "sepsis and clotting of blood", Dr Opher said, which can cause "quite a lot of illness and sudden death".

"We don't know what happened in this case, but looking at the statistics around BBL and the use of fillers, I think we should suspend these until we know they are safe.

"I would advise anyone not to go through with this procedure until we can investigate what happened," Dr Opher addded.

While non-surgical BBLs are not illegal in the UK, in 2023, Wolverhampton City Council barred a company from carrying out the procedure after identifying risks associated with their processes, including blood clots, sepsis, and the potential for the death of body tissues.

Five local authorities in Essex and Glasgow followed suit and have banned certain companies from carrying out liquid BBLs in their area.

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