Krystal Reilly, a 30-year-old resident of Austin, Texas, made the decision to undergo a Brazilian butt lift three years following the birth of her first child. Despite the procedure's estimated mortality rate of 1 in 3,000 patients, as reported by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Krystal felt confident in her research. However, her experience quickly turned into a nightmare.
This is her story—part of our Ruli Verified initiative aimed at enhancing transparency about provider qualifications—as shared with Alix Tunell and edited for clarity and brevity.
Krystal has always been self-conscious about her figure, feeling flat both top and bottom. As she aged, she considered breast augmentation but was terrified by the idea of general anesthesia—her anxiety and fear of death made being put under a significant risk she was unwilling to take. After having her first daughter at 27, her body changed, and she decided to pursue liposuction. During her research, she learned about fat transfer, a process where fat is removed from the stomach, back, or flanks and injected elsewhere, usually into the buttocks. This was her introduction to Brazilian butt lifts, which seemed like a beneficial extension of liposuction.
Why Krystal Chose to Get a Brazilian Butt Lift
Krystal was unaware of the risks associated with fat embolisms and the numerous fatalities linked to BBLs. The worst-case scenario she envisioned was an infection, easily treatable with antibiotics. All the information she found suggested the procedure was safe.
Ruli was her go-to resource for finding a doctor, but her options were limited as she wanted the procedure under local anesthesia. She was drawn to Beleza MedSpa due to its "advanced awake method" and numerous five-star reviews. Beleza claimed the procedure was always performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon, a common practice in Austin where board-certified doctors often own medical spas.
During a consultation, she met with Dr. David Dellinger, a plastic surgeon who advised her to gain 15 pounds before surgery for sufficient fat. She verified his board certification and felt reassured. However, Beleza's sales tactics were questionable—a $1,000 discount that month was actually an inflated original price—leading her to explore other options.
Unable to find another provider willing to perform the surgery under local anesthesia, and convinced by Beleza's claims of doctor proficiency, she scheduled the BBL. She was then informed that Dr. Dellinger was no longer there but a new, excellent doctor was available. Mistakenly assuming that the website's claim of board-certified surgeons meant board-certified plastic surgeons, and having confirmed Dr. Dellinger's credentials, she did not further scrutinize Dr. Lawrence Broder's qualifications.
Meeting Dr. Broder, she noticed his lab coat labeled him as a "plastic surgeon." He revealed he was a veteran, a detail she respected, associating it with honesty and ethics. He assured her the procedure would be painless due to advanced technology and that most patients napped through it. Pleased that he didn't require her to gain weight, she agreed to the surgery. [Editor’s note: Beleza MedSpa is now Beleza Surgery, and head plastic surgeon Dr. Staci Hix-Hernandez has stated that Dr. Lawrence Broder has not seen a patient at the practice since January 2018.]
Related: Florida’s Mortality Rate for Brazilian Butt Lifts Is Alarmingly High—but Can New Legislation Change That?
Krystal's Brazilian Butt Lift Experience
On the day of her surgery, she took the Ativan prescribed and ordered a Lyft to Beleza. After providing a urine sample for a pregnancy test and receiving more Ativan, she was scheduled for the operating room at 11 a.m. but was delayed. Nurses, surprised by her alertness, kept giving her Ativan until she was finally taken to Dr. Broder. As he marked her body, he expressed concern that she was too "aware," seeming irritated and in a hurry. This made her uneasy.
Laying on the table, he applied iodine to her stomach and used a device to create holes for the liposuction cannula without any numbing. After injecting lidocaine, he began liposuction, causing immediate, intense pain. She felt everything and requested more numbing, which seemed to frustrate him. She wondered how anyone could sleep through this.
After liposuction, she was instructed to turn over for fat injections into her buttocks. He injected lidocaine and handed her stress balls before forcefully inserting the fat. Crying from pain, she noticed a nurse's traumatized expression, confirming her suspicion that this was not normal.
After the procedure, a nurse insisted on driving her home, concerned about her safety. At home, she saw no immediate results and, after a few days, developed painful, lumpy buttocks with an infection. Dr. Broder dismissed her concerns, insisting her body looked attractive and promising she would love the outcome. Her stomach and back were uneven, and her butt remained unchanged.
At a follow-up, she requested to see her file to know the amount of fat extracted. He refused, claiming he was late for another surgery. Another staff member revealed he had injected half the normal amount.
Frustrated, she wrote a review on Ruli, which led to Dr. Broder asking her to include photos. Ruli members were outraged, and he accused her of harming his business. She explained that his actions were more damaging, and that's when she discovered he was a family practitioner, not a plastic surgeon.
Related: New Ruli Survey: Nearly 3 in 5 U.S. Women Do Not Know There Is a Difference Between Cosmetic Surgeons and Plastic Surgeons
Shocked, she learned his family practice had closed, and found poor reviews on Yelp. Employees messaged her, confirming his incompetence and the non-disclosure agreements they signed. A month later, she discovered she was pregnant, possibly affecting her surgery.
She filed a complaint with the Texas Medical Board, alleging he misrepresented himself. Their response ignored his misrepresented credentials. Her reviews were deleted from websites, silencing her. Watching the news, she saw a story about a woman who died under his care, wondering if her reviews could have prevented it.
Why Krystal Shares Her Experience
Last year, at a South by Southwest panel hosted by Ruli, she shared her story, crediting the site for revealing Dr. Broder's true credentials. The team thanked her, emphasizing the importance of legitimate reviews and accurate credentials.
Related: Ruli Verified: One Blue Checkmark, 7 Problems Solved
This experience has highlighted legal loopholes and the need for consumer vigilance. Recently, Dr. Broder responded to her Yelp review, denying her claims. Checking Ruli, she found his profile marked with "license disciplinary action," hoping he is under investigation. She advocates for making it harder to manipulate patients, believing her review could have saved lives.
