Liposuction, just like any surgical procedure, involves a certain degree of risk. Risks can be minimized by choosing a fully trained and experienced cosmetic surgeon and following the surgeon’s pre- and post-operative instructions.
Double board certified cosmetic and oral & maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Landon McLain provides liposuction and other procedures to patients in Huntsville, Madison, Florence, Decatur, Scottsboro, Cullman, Athens, Alabama, and surrounding locations.
Potential Complications
Complications with liposuction surgery are rare, but the patient should have full information about these in order to make a well-considered decision. The complications may include:
- Infection
- Slow healing
- Poor reaction to anesthesia or medications
- Blood clotting
- Excessive loss of blood and fluids
- Accumulation of fluid beneath the skin
- Friction burns
- Visible scarring
- Numbness in the treated area
- Changes in skin pigmentation
- Damage to vital organs
- Damage to the nerves or skin
Extremely Rare Complications
Liposuction may lead to severe complications in extremely rare cases. These complications may include cardiac arrest, cardiac arrhythmia, internal blood clots, excessive bleeding, severe drug interactions, allergic reactions to anesthesia or medication, permanent nerve damage, seizures, and brain damage from anesthesia. When the liposuction procedure is performed by an experienced cosmetic surgeon, the occurrence of such complications is usually highly unlikely.
Risks of Excessive Fat Removal
If the surgeon adopts an aggressive approach to remove an excessive amount of fat from targeted areas at once, or performs too much liposuction in a single day, it can pose a risk for the patient. This is one of the common risks associated with liposuction, particularly when the surgeon does not follow a conservative approach.
Excessive liposuction can lead to lumps, dents, and sagging skin. To minimize the risk of such complications and reduce the side effects of overexposure to anesthesia, liposuction should be performed in phases, with each phase scheduled several days apart. This may be recommended in a situation where patient is looking for larger amounts of fat removal from one or more areas.
How to Minimize Risks?
As a first step, the patient should disclose full details about their current health condition, medications and supplements, and a complete medical history, including previous surgeries, if any. If the patient is a smoker, the fact should be disclosed clearly. The surgeon should assess carefully whether the patient makes a fit candidate for liposuction or not.
The surgeon should evaluate the age, body weight, overall health and fitness and lifestyle of the patient, and look at these facts in the light of the patient’s personal aesthetic goals and needs. Preparation constitutes an important part of risk minimization in liposuction. The patient should carefully adhere to the surgeon’s instructions for pre-operative care and post-operative recovery.
Less invasive liposuction techniques such as tumescent liposuction, which involves local anesthesia, or liposuction assisted by laser, ultrasound, or radio frequency techniques may be chosen to reduce risks. Non-surgical fat reduction alternatives may be explored where it is necessary to cut down the risks of surgery. Double board certified cosmetic and oral & maxillofacial surgeon Dr. McLain receives patients from Huntsville, Madison, Florence, Decatur, Scottsboro, Cullman, Athens, Alabama, and nearby areas for liposuction.
McLain Surgical Arts is a leading cosmetic surgery practice headed by Dr. Landon D. McLain MD, DMD, FACS in Huntsville, AL. Dr. McLain is a double board certified cosmetic and oral & maxillofacial surgeon, offering a variety of procedures such as dental implants, wisdom teeth extraction, breast augmentation, liposuction, rhinoplasty, tummy tuck, facelift, Botox, and laser skin resurfacing. For more information or to schedule a consultation call 256.429.3411 or click here. Now taking patients from Huntsville, Scottsboro, Decatur, Madison, Athens, Florence, Cullman, AL and surrounding areas.
