Liposuction Surgery

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Not unlike other surgeries, there are certain risks that go beyond the temporary nuisance of minor side effects. The performing surgeon should mention these risks to each patient during the initial consultation and again before the surgery is performed. These risks are best minimized through careful patient evaluation and selection by the performing surgeon. Occurrence is slightly increased when the area receiving treatment is abnormally large, there are numerous sites on the body being treated, or an unusually large amount of fat is removed during the procedure.

During the 1990s, there were several, highly publicized, deaths that resulted from liposuction surgery in addition to a disturbing occurrence of other serious complications. Since then, surgeons have managed to reduce these occurrence rates through advances in education regarding liposuction procedures. A study published in Dermatologic Surgery in July of 2004 found that:

1. Overall clinical complication rate for liposuction surgery was 0.7%

2. Minor complication rate was 0.57%

3. Major complication rate was 0.14% with one patient who required hospitalization

Serious complications of liposuction surgery can include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Allergic reaction to the anesthetic administered during the procedure-most procedures are performed with local anesthesia, which allows surgeons to avoid the added risks that are associated with general anesthesia almost entirely.

2. Infection-any time the body is cut or punctured in a way that breaks the skin and leaves open wounds, infection is an unavoidable risk. Especially in instances in which multiple incisions are made, risk of bacterial infection should not be ignored.

3. Damage to skin-movement of the cannula can occasionally contribute to or cause skin damage.

4. Sometimes, the cannula will damage tissue beneath the skin which might result in a spotted appearance of the skin’s surface.

5. Skin necrosis (death)-a rare complication in which skin falls off necrotic area leaving it vulnerable to invasion of bacterial infections.

6. Puncturing of internal organs-since surgeons have no way of seeing the cannula, they occasionally do accidental damage to internal organs with the cannula during the process of breaking up the fat cells. An experienced surgeon in the liposuction field is highly unlikely to accidentally damage an organ during a liposuction procedure of any kind.

7. Contour irregularities-skin might sometimes end up looking lumpy or withered due to uneven fat removal or lack of skin elasticity. Every patient heals differently and with older patients healing can be slower and more imperfect. In these cases, small touch-up procedures can work wonders.

8. Thromboembolism or fat embolism-liposuction is a low-risk surgery for this complication, including pulmonary embolism. However, this risk should not be overlooked in any surgical procedure, liposuction being no exception to that rule.

9. Burns-cannula movement can sometimes cause friction burns to skin and/or nerves in the surgical area. In UAL procedures, heat from the ultrasonic device has the potential for causing burn injuries to a patient’s skin and deeper tissues.

10. Lidocaine toxicity-during Super-Wet or Tumescent procedures, too much saline fluid can be injected or the fluid will sometimes contain too high a concentration of lidocaine. Excess Lidocaine can become too much for a person’s system. Lidocaine poisoning causes a tingling sensation at first, followed by numbness, and then unconsciousness and possibly respiratory and/or cardiac failure.

11. Fluid imbalance-since fat is loaded with fluids and is removed during the liposuction procedure, and since the surgeon injects fluids for the procedure, even the very large amounts required for some types of liposuction, there is a danger of the body’s fluid balance being disturbed. This can happen after the patient is sent home. If too much fluid remains in the body after surgery, the heart, lungs, and kidneys can be badly affected by the imbalance.

The cosmetic surgeon should give patients a complete written list of complications and the indications of those complications, in addition to instructions regarding self-care after the procedure.