fat embolism

plural fat embolisms

1. medicineA condition, most commonly caused by the fracture of long bones, in which fat particles enter the bloodstream, often resulting in symptoms like petechial rash, shortness of breath, and decreased level of consciousness.

   A whole host of things can go wrong; most notably, the repurposed fat can travel through veins in the buttocks to pulmonary arteries and chambers of the heart, causing fat embolisms. Transferred fat can also migrate beneath the muscle, tearing gluteal veins.

   2022 May 11, Sandra E. Garcia, “Butt Lifts Are Booming. Healing Is No Joke.”, in The New York Times Magazine