Potential Risks and Complications of Liposuction

    ORANGE COUNTY, CA, May 30, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Like all surgery, liposuction brings a certain amount of risk. Despite the rigorous patient screening done by the best liposuction surgeons, and despite following your post-operative instructions to the letter, an undesired event can sometimes happen.

The surgery risk is one of health-threatening complications, or even life-threatening complications. By far the majority of liposuction patients have an excellent recovery and very gratifying results. But that can never be guaranteed. Patient education is important so that you understand what the risks are and will know enough to contact your liposuction surgeon immediately if any complication were to start developing.

We are not talking here about side effects. All surgeries have side effects too - but they are short-lived and minor in nature. They are things like swelling, bruising, discomfort or pain, fluid drainage, and slight bleeding. You will know about these before your liposuction procedure is started and if a pain medication is desirable during your recovery, you will already have a prescription for it ahead of time, so you can get it filled and have it ready. You will have written instructions on such things as how to change dressings, when to get up and walk around, and when to resume showers or baths.

Side effects flow from the nature of your surgery and can be anticipated. Complications are not necessarily predictable, but they are always possible.

Minor Liposuction Complications
After you have your liposuction procedure, you may notice an uneven skin surface in the treatment areas. There may be bumps and depressions. This can be corrected with a follow-up surgery.

In some cases, there may be some numbness, and this can be caused by a nerve being compressed and unable to send sensory messages to the brain. The compression may be a result of local swelling and when the swelling subsides, sensation may return. Sometimes there is another cause for numbness and your liposuction surgeon will act accordingly to address it.

A seroma is a pocket of body fluids (lymph and blood). Sometimes when fat is removed from beneath the skin, areas of skin may detach from the remaining tissue beneath it and form an empty space. Fluid seeps into it and must be drained out for full recovery. Your surgeon can use a needle to do this, solving the problem.

Major Liposuction Complications
Major complications can endanger your health and life and they need to be addressed as soon as possible. By the time you are ready to have your liposuction procedure, you will know what to watch for.

Infection can start any time the skin is incised. Although liposuction involves very small incisions, they are still openings in the skin and can potentially allow bacteria to enter and spread. If an infection is not attended to quickly, it will continue to spread beyond the immediate body area and become harder to treat. Good self-care during recovery will usually prevent any infection from starting.

Blood clots can form in the leg veins if your recovery period is too sedentary. Your liposuction surgeon will tell you how soon you should get up and walk around each day and that will vary according to what type of liposuction you have and how extensive it is.

A pulmonary embolism is a life-threatening complication and starts when a small piece of fat detaches and enters the bloodstream. It can then travel anywhere in the body and if it becomes lodged in the lungs, it can create serious breathing problems. This will happen within two or three days if it is going to happen at all.

Fluid imbalance is a risk if you have tumescent liposuction, where a great deal of saline solution (salt water) is injected into the treatment area before fat is removed. Much of that saline solution is removed along with the fat and body fluids but sometimes too much remains. That can put stress on the heart, lungs, and kidneys.

Patient education for liposuction cannot be overstressed. Learn as much as you can about your liposuction procedure, listen to your surgeon's advice, and follow his or her post-op instructions to the letter.

If you are in Orange County, California, and would like to speak with an experienced and highly-trained liposuction surgeon, you can go to the website of Dr. Douglas Hendricks at www.hendricksmd.com and schedule a personal consultation with him.

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