Liposuction, also called lipoplasty, is a cosmetic surgery that removes fat from an area of the body. Patients undergoing this procedure have liposuction risks including disappointing results and life-threatening complications.
This type of surgery is common and generally safe. Though there is the potential for dangerous liposuction complications, these are rare.
During the surgery, a significant amount of fluid is often injected and then sucked out with the fat. This influx of fluid can cause heart and kidney complications.
Liposuction is performed under general anesthesia. An allergic reaction to the anesthesia or other adverse reaction to the anesthesia is a risk of surgery.
A common risk of surgery is infection. If treated early, an infection is usually minor. However, sepsis, a life-threatening blood infection, can develop from an infection.
A clot of fat, sometimes called a fat embolism, can travel from the area of the liposuction to the lungs or brain. The fat embolism can be fatal if it blocks the blood vessel.
Some risks of liposuction involve damage to internal organs or nerves. If an internal organ is punctured during liposuction, the person may need emergency surgery to repair the organ.
People sometimes experience numbness after liposuction. Usually, the numbness is temporary from nerve irritation. Sometimes, the numbness is permanent from nerve damage sustained during the surgery.
Sometimes, people are unhappy with the results of the liposuction surgery. Though this is not a dangerous risk, going through the surgery and paying for it and not being happy with the results is a liposuction risk.
Some bumpiness is common after liposuction and may disappear gradually during the recovery period. Permanent dimpling, sagging skin, bumpiness that doesn’t go away, and skin discoloration are lipo risks.
The removal of fat may make the contour of the body look uneven. The skin may have poor elasticity, spots, or excessive scarring.
Many liposuction resources warn about fluid accumulation. The body can develop pockets of fluid under the skin that may need to be drained with a syringe.
To reduce the risks of liposuction, the patient should consider only doing one area of the body at a time instead of doing multiple procedures at the same time. Also, the person should use a cosmetic surgeon who has considerable experience with liposuction.
Not disclosing all of the prescription and over-the-counter medications that the patient takes can make the patient be at higher risk of liposuction complications. When discussing surgery, people should tell their doctors about any nutritional supplements, vitamins, aspirin, and any other medications that the person takes regularly.
People who develop any bothersome side effects that are not what the doctor described as normal side effects of liposuction, they should notify the doctor. Some complications are medical emergencies and require immediate medical attention.