Letty's Liposuction Directory

About Side Effects of Liposuction

Author: Letty's Staff Writer

The potential side effects of liposuction surgery may give you pause...

as it very well should.

After all – despite its impression as a minor surgery – liposuction is in fact major surgery.

Liposuction involves a significant amount of anesthesia (even if you aren't made unconscious during surgery). There is also quite a bit of "surgical" wounding of tissues of the body involved as well.

Blood loss and a fairly substantial recovery time (depending on where your liposuction surgery was done) is also a part of liposuction. So, liposuction is definitely a pretty major surgery. And because it is major surgery – the potential for liposuction side effects does exist.

Let's talk about three of the major ones...

1. I. Overworking the heart.

   1. How It Occurs:

      In large-volume liposuction (that is liposuction where a large volume of fat is to be removed) – quite a bit of anesthetizing fluids are injected into the area(s) that are going to be treated with liposuction. If the physician isn't careful she may inadvertently inject a dangerous amount of fluid into the body – which can overwork the heart.

      In unfortunate cases – some liposuction patients have had heart failure after surgeries where too much fluid was used.

   2. How to Prevent It:

      So picking a competent surgeon is very important. And hopefully that physician will make sure her liposuction patients are healthy to begin with before going into surgery. And if there is an undiagnosed heart condition or weakness – then ideally that patient will be identified before surgery.

2. II. Potential infection.

   1. How it Occurs:

      Infections are another potential side effect of liposuction.

      Infections can occur after any surgery. These days there are bacteria that are becoming more resistant to the treatment we have for them. Bacteria such as MRSA (Methicillin resistant staph aureus) or VRE (Vancomycin resistant enterococci) are plaguing hospitals and clinics worldwide. If contracted - they can cause serious tissue damage or possibly even death.

   2. How to Prevent It:

      Don't be afraid to ask questions about sterilization techniques and infection frequencies.

      It is important that the facility you are considering has sterile procedures (autoclaves, and gloved hands for all important interactions with patients). If you determine that the facility and physician both have excellent records of successful liposuction surgeries – without incidence of infections – it is a sign that the proper procedures are in place.

      Avoiding infections is important both during and after surgery when you return home. Follow doctor's instructions for wound care and personal grooming impeccably.

3. III. Nerve compression and damage.

   1. How It Occurs:

      Nerve compression and damage can happen as a result of the disruptive, back-and-forth movements that the surgeon makes with the liposuction instrument (called a "cannula").

      As fat is suctioned out of the treatment area – sometimes nerves are impacted as well. Nerves – responsible for our sense of touch - that extend throughout the fatty tissue and into our skin layers can become damaged during liposuction. This can result in a loss of sensation, or sensitivity.

      Some signs of nerve compression and damage include numbness, tingling, and can range to a complete loss of sensation in the area.

   2. How To Prevent It:

      Find the most competent surgeons available. It sounds simple. But the way to prevent this particular side effect of liposuction is to choose the most experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon for your care.

What is the take-home here?

This article covered just a few of the possible side effects of liposuction.

Hopefully I've given you enough food for thought. As always, my goal is to convince you to take liposuction very seriously - that should you decide to have it. Lipo is major surgery – and because of that deserves your full attention and thorough investigation.

For any surgery your health and safety are potentially put at risk.

So do your homework. Make sure that the surgeon you choose is not just personable – but top-notch as well.

Side Effects of Liposuction References:

• Greeley, Alexandra. "Planning To Look Flab-u-less?." FDA Consumer 34.6 (Nov 200): 31. Expanded Academic ASAP. Gale.