All surgeries are serious matters and liposuction is no exception. Anyone considering plastic surgery should proceed with caution and careful consideration of the benefits as well as the risks involved. Liposuction patients are subject to typical surgical risks such as bleeding, infection, and anesthesia related risks in addition to complications and undesired side effects specific to the procedure. Different techniques such as laser liposuction and ultrasonic liposuction have been developed to better target fat cells while leaving the surrounding tissue unharmed but the risks are still there, just marginalized depending on the type of technique employed.
Surgical Complications
Typical risks associated with any surgery include excessive blood loss, blood clots, bruising, and infection to the incision area. The traumatic force used in traditional liposuction methods to break and remove fat cells can cause damage to the surrounding tissue. In rare but serious cases, internal organ damage can occurs as the physical force inflicts overdue stress to parts of the body other than the intended fat cells. Damaged blood vessels result in bleeding and excessive blood loss requiring blood transfusions are not uncommon in liposuction procedures. New methods are more gentle and accurate when targeting fat cells and thereby improving the amount of risks involved in liposuction.
Anesthesia Complications
Anesthesia is very risky business in general which explains why anesthesiologists are so important and expensive. Some discount clinics will try to save money by training an uncertified nurse to perform the administration of anesthesia which is a very dangerous practice. Improper dosage is one of the most common reasons for complications related to anesthesia. Overdosing can very easily put a patient down and out permanently.
Other possible complications that are anesthesia related include allergic reactions to particular solutions in the drug and the effect some drugs have on the heart. It is known to elevate the patient’s heart rate which is why plastic surgeons will tell their patients to avoid caffeine and anything containing epinephrine-like drugs such as most cold medicines. Serious conditions include cardiac arrhythmia and brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain as a result of improper dosage or unintended reactions to the anesthesia.
Mental and Psychological Considerations
It is important that any liposuction patient be prepared for the potential outcome of the procedure for better or for worse. It is not uncommon that some patients suffer from traumatic stress disorder as a result of looking in the mirror and being horrified at what they have become aesthetically. Plastic surgery and liposuction in particular do have very high success rates but that is no guarantee that nothing will go wrong.
Liposuction is effective in removing small pockets of localized fat deposits and is in no way a weight loss strategy. It is not meant to be a cure for obesity or for anyone excessively overweight. Having attainable goals and realistic expectations is the key to living a happy life after liposuction surgery.