Having surgery to improve your body is drastic and will always involve some risk. Liposuction is a popular form of cosmetic surgery and most clients are pleased with the outcome. But as with any surgical procedure there are risks involved. It is important before embarking on this journey that those risks have been explored and that the decision is yours based on fact and not what friends or doctors encourage you to do.
Liposuction is a surgery and as with any surgery infections can occur. It will depend upon your particular physician whether or nor an antibiotic is prescribed after surgery. Even with keeping the wound clean, an infection could happen. Infections vary in their seriousness but some can be life threatening as in the case of necrotizing fasciitis (bacteria eats away at the tissue) or with toxic shock syndrome (a serious, sometimes fatal, infection caused by a bacteria that is associated with surgery).
An embolism could occur when fat is loosened and enters the blood through vessels broken (ruptured) during the procedure. It is possible for pieces of fat to become trapped in the blood vessels, to gather in the lungs or travel to the brain. Pulmonary emboli (fat clots in the lungs) are characterized by shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing. Fat emboli can cause permanent disability or be fatal.
During liposuction it is difficult for the surgeon to see where the probe is and therefore it is possible to puncture or damage internal organs. This problem is called Visceral Perforations (puncture wounds in the organs).
Seroma is also a possible problem. This is where there is a pooling of serum (the straw colored liquid from your blood) in areas where tissue has been removed.
Paresthesias (altered sensation) may be experienced at the site of the liposuction. This may show up as an increased sensitivity in the area or numbness in the area. In unfortunate cases these changes in sensation may be permanent.
After liposuction there may be swelling (edema). This could last for weeks or even months after the surgery.
You may experience a fluid imbalance. Fat tissue, which contains a lot of liquid, is removed during liposuction plus the surgeon may inject large amounts of fluid during surgery all of which can cause a fluid imbalance. If this happens it can result in serious conditions such as heart problems or kidney problems.
Frequently a drug called Lidocaine is used as a local anesthetic during liposuction. Because of the high doses of Lidocaine that may be used there is a possibility of Lidocaine toxicity that may cause the heart to stop. Any type of anesthesia can cause complications and is always a considered risk during any type of surgery.
There are numerous reports of fatalities related to the liposuction procedure and there have been several studies done to estimate how often liposuction clients die during the procedure. Some studies indicate that the risk of death is as low as 3 deaths to every 100,000 operations performed. Other studies indicate that it is as high as between 20 -100 deaths per 100,000 liposuction surgeries performed.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Liposuction
