From October 2 to 4, Salò hosts the twenty-second edition of BBF 2026, the advanced international plastic surgery course that brings together eighty specialists from twenty-four countries around the world. The event, organized by Villa Bella Clinic with the patronage of AICPE (Italian Association of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery), consolidates the town’s position as a global reference point for the most advanced face and neck rejuvenation techniques.
The faculty includes founder Giovanni Botti, surgeon Chiara Botti (specialist in face lifts and blepharoplasty), Mario Pelle Ceravolo, Canadians Richard Warren and Richard Bendor-Samuel, as well as London-based Shailesh Vadodaria. The three-day event combines theoretical lectures, live surgeries in the operating room, and a focus on the psychological impact of aesthetic surgery entrusted to psychologist Ameya Canovi, author of books on emotional awareness.
A school born from aesthetic rigor
BBF stems from the surgical school founded by Giovanni Botti in Salò: over decades of activity, it has trained over a thousand students from the most prestigious international universities for free. The management of the course has passed to Chiara Botti, professor of plastic surgery in the specialization schools of the Universities of Padua, Verona, and the Catholic University of Rome. Dr. Botti emphasizes how BBF teaches not only operative techniques but also listening to the patient: “The result of a surgery begins long before the operating room, and depends on how we listen to a patient and identify their real needs. It’s an aspect that our profession must never neglect.”
Italy as a global leader in facial surgery
According to the latest survey by ISAPS (International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery), in 2024, 212,236 facial procedures were performed in Italy, 44.2% of all aesthetic surgery procedures. A proportion that Italy shares with Japan, Brazil, and Turkey, while the United States and Germany favor body procedures. Globally, face lifts are growing by 7.4% year-over-year, while neck lifts remain stable.
Italy occupies the fourth place in the global ranking for the total number of aesthetic treatments, with over 1.3 million procedures recorded.
Education and social responsibility
BBF is a non-profit event: the proceeds from registrations are donated to assistance projects and volunteer associations. In past years, the school has financed over 460,000 euros for free surgeries in Italy, Africa, and South America. The course is part of the educational program of Villa Bella Clinic, which annually hosts ISAPS-recognized fellowships for Italian and foreign residents and young specialists. For Italy, the path is open to doctors from the Gemelli Polyclinic, the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, and the University of Udine.
Where: Villa Bella Clinic for live surgery, A-Rosa Hotel for lectures, ICLO Verona for the anatomical theater.
Information: villabellaeducation@mzevents.it
