The Danger of Liposuction

Surgery always comes with some degree of risk. However, when you compare liposuction to the rest of the cosmetic surgeries, it is definitely the least dangerous. This is because there is comparatively less body invasion in liposuction than in other methods of cosmetic surgery.

Liposuction – What’s the Harm?

There are a number of dangers in liposuction. However, the danger during the procedure is much less than the danger that lurks in the post-operative care or lack thereof; this is with special reference to infection, pain, scarring, etc. By far, the danger of liposuction can be described as:

1. Shock – When too much fat extraction is attempted, the body sometimes reacts with going into shock. This is extremely dangerous particularly when the patient in under general anesthesia.
2. Scarring: In some cases the inappropriate surgery can leave unsightly scars which not only look bad, but also are indicative that liposuction has been performed. This is why only an experienced and board certified dermatologist should be used for the liposuction procedure.
3. Lidocaine allergy: To date the safe level of lidocaine use has not been fully determined. Hence, what’s good for one may not be so good for another. There are instances where large amounts of lidocaine provoke violent allergies. Lidocaine toxicity is extremely dangerous and unless counteractive measures are applied immediately, it can result in death.
4. Organ perforation: Some times if the surgery is done by an inexperienced hand, the walls of the organs under the skin may be perforated. This can be extremely dangerous. This is one of the reasons why an experienced surgeon’s skill is a must for liposuction, more so if the area for fat extraction is large and it would take a long time to do so.
5. Blood clots: This happens when the surgery is performed over a long period of time causing the blood to pool in certain areas of the body. Blood clot formation is a common danger of liposuction and this is why this procedure is usually affected over many sittings short in duration rather than one long sitting.
6. Hemodilution: This is a rare danger of liposuction; nonetheless it does happen. This can happen mostly when the surgeon injects too much of anesthetic into the fat layer. Experience and expertise of the surgeon is the best defense against this danger.