| Bariatric Surgery.info Risks and Complications of Liposuction/ Lipoplasty |
Risk of embolism, infection, organ damage,
drug reactions |
Risks and Complications of LiposuctionLipoplasty (liposculpture or liposuction) is a serious surgical procedure with a risk of significant complications, even though it usually involves cosmetic rather than medical surgery. Furthermore, where fat is being suctioned from more than one area of the body, liposuction patients can lie on the operating table for several hours, increasing the seriousness of the suction lipectomy and the possibility of post-operative health problems. General Safety of LiposuctionBefore listing the health risks and post-operative complications of lipoplasty, it's worth emphasising that all surgical operations, especially those performed with general anesthesia, carry risks. Liposuction, in particular tumescent lipoplasty carried out using local anesthesia, is generally very safe and post-operative problems are typically both minor and temporary. Most Common Risks of LiposuctionTypical risks of lipoplasty surgical procedures include: Pulmonary Embolism, Infection, Visceral Perforation, Toxicity, Blood Loss, Swelling (Edema), Seroma and Hematoma, Skin Necrosis and Anesthesia Death Rate of LiposuctionAccording to a research article published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (2000), among 475,000 liposuction patients who had liposuction surgeries performed on them by surgeons using general anesthesia or heavy IV sedation, there were a total of 95 deaths. According to a 2002 study of cosmetic and plastic surgeons conducting liposuction by local anesthesia, there were no deaths among 65,000 liposuction patients. Other studies suggest that the risk of death from lipoplasty is between 20 and 100 deaths per 100,000 procedures. Risk of Suctioning Too Much Body FatOne danger of liposuction is doing too much liposuction in a single session. There is a limit to the amount of fat removal and associated surgical trauma that is safe for the human body. For example, it is not healthy or safe to suction more than 8-10 pounds of fat tissue in a single session. If the liposuction patient has a large amount of adipose tissue which needs removing, is it less risky to divide the liposuction into a series of separate surgeries spaced 4-5 weeks apart. What are the Main Causes Death Resulting From Liposuction?The most common causes of death from lipoplasty surgeries are: (1) Pulmonary Embolism (blood clot in the lung); 2) Infection; 3) Damage to Abdominal Organs (liver, intestines or Lungs); 4) Drug Reactions and Side Effects of Anesthesia. ------------------------------------------------ Gastric Bypass Bariatric Information |