Liposuction has the same hazards as any other kind of surgery, so you’ll need to measure them against the potential advantages and liposuction side effects. Your doctor will go through the potential risks and problems of liposuction with you before the treatment.
Before we go into particular dangers, we’d like to mention that liposuction is the second most common kind of aesthetic plastic surgery in the United States, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (and has been for many years.) In 2019, there were more than 266,000 liposuction procedures. The longevity and widespread acceptance of liposuction are strong indicators of the procedure’s inherent safety.
In this article, we’ll go over the possible risks of Liposuction as well as the benefits.
What is the risk of getting Liposuction?
Some of the risks of getting Liposuction are described below.
Scarring
The normal incisions associated with cosmetic surgery are unnecessary for liposuction. A tiny cannula is used to administer the drug subcutaneously, via a series of incisions. Sutures aren’t usually necessary; however, some surgeons may choose to add a stitch or two in strategic locations (such as the patient’s neck) for cosmetic reasons. However, other than the transitory discoloration that disappears with time, they seldom result in lasting scars. The skin on each patient is unique and heals at a distinct pace. It might take anything from a few weeks to a year for the scars from your incisions to totally fade. Liposuction scars are often well-accepted by patients.
Risks of Anesthesia
To remove unwanted fat, liposuction is performed while the patient is awake but under local anesthetic. Therefore, only local anesthetic will do. In most cases, a local anesthetic is included in the “wetting solution” that is used to prepare the skin for treatment. Extra IV sedation may be recommended by your surgeon if you are getting a “large volume” liposuction. Although there is always a chance of anything going wrong with anesthesia, post-liposuction anesthetic problems are rare. During your meeting with your plastic surgeon, be sure to bring up the topic of anesthesia. The anesthetic dosage may be adjusted to your specifications, including the addition of IV sedation.
Even with the gold standard of liposuction, water-assisted liposuction, or tumescent liposuction, you might anticipate some bruising and swelling following your treatment. A gentle pulsating water stream is used to dissolve subcutaneous fat. Because of this, there is less post-operative edema and more uniform fat loss as compared to other procedures. Even so, you may have minor bruising and swelling as an outcome of liposuction. As a result, its impact may vary greatly from patient to patient. It may be treated with elevation, cold compresses, and Ibuprofen, and it usually goes away after a few days. Chronic discomfort or swelling is unusual yet possible. Compression garment use is a crucial part of your surgeon’s post-op recommendations for minimizing edema.
Change in Skin Sensation & Sensitivity
After any kind of surgery, including liposuction, it is usual to suffer paralysis or a reduction in sensation in the treated region. Usually, this is only a momentary problem, however, in certain extreme situations, the tingling might last longer. On the other side, post-op patients are often more sensitive than usual to heat or cold. In most cases, this goes away when the wound heals, but in certain extreme cases, it might persist permanently.
Contour Irregularities
Liposuction has been linked to post-operative contour and form anomalies. As opposed to being a safety issue, this is more of a performance inhibitor. Uneven fat removal, atypical healing, or a condition called fat necrosis might cause the skin to seem bumpy or wrinkled. At the sites of the incisions, you may be left with skin abnormalities known as “dog ears.” There’s a chance that your cellulite has worsened or that new areas of cellulite have appeared. Liposuction alone may not be enough to keep these imperfections at bay but adding skin tightening may help. An even appearance is achieved with less extra skin.
It is important to remember that most patients already have preexisting differences between their right and left sides of the body, which might lead to unanticipated asymmetries after surgery. If you are unhappy with the results of a previous surgical surgery but want to give it another, go, you might try a revision procedure. If you’re unhappy with the results of a previous surgical surgery but want to give it another, go, you might try a revision procedure.
General Surgery Risks
Infections, fluid buildup, blood clots, poor wound healing, DVTs, PEs (pulmonary embolisms), and injury to deeper systems including nerves, blood vessels, muscle, lung, and abdominal organs are all possible risks with any kind of surgery, including aesthetic procedures. And the good news is serious blood clots rare in liposuction. These are not unique to liposuction, but you’ll be made aware of them in the permission form you sign.
Heat Injuries/Burns
This is a potential side effect of any liposuction/lipolysis treatment that employs the use of localized heat to reduce tissue volume, including laser liposuction, ultrasound-assisted liposuction, and radio frequency-assisted liposuction (RFAL). In order to tighten the skin, these methods use short, intense bursts of heat to contract the underlying tissue.
Improved safety measures and equipment have drastically reduced the possibility of burns from these techniques in recent years. Helium plasma is used to produce a constant 65–85 degrees Celsius in a matter of seconds. The surrounding tissues are spared damage because of the focused energy’s brief and precise application.
This is a possibility with any surgical procedure, not only liposuction: Significant surgical problems are more likely to occur among smokers and other nicotine product users (including, to a lesser extent, those exposed to secondary smoke). Skin death slowed healing, and worse scarring is all possible outcomes. It is possible that smoking slows down the healing process after anesthesia. Quitting smoking is better. Stop smoking 6 weeks before surgery. The permission form requires honesty regarding smoking.
What to expect with liposuction?
Liposuction might reduce or extend your hospital stay, depending on the areas that need to be treated. It is possible to do some treatments in an outpatient setting. Symptoms like discomfort, swelling, bruising, stiffness, and numbness are typical after liposuction.
You might lessen your discomfort prior to the operation by:
- If you feel discomfort, it is best to see a doctor.
- Know about the anesthetic method that will be used.
- Find out whether there are any drugs you may take to help you relax before the operation.
To minimize pain and discomfort after the surgery:
- Try to take a break and rest.
- Drink fluids.
- If you have been given medications, take them as directed.
- Put on the prescribed compression garments.
- Follow your doctor’s orders and leave the drains in place following surgery.
- drink fluids.
- Keep away from salt, since it might cause swelling (edema).
Conclusion
Like every other surgery, there is always a chance of complications during liposuction. Most of those who have had liposuction done so far are satisfied with it’s result. After this surgery, it may take approximately 6 weeks to recover, and once you overcome this time you will be able to walk around and do some light exercise. I hope you have got a clear picture of the possible risks of Liposuction as well as what to expect from it by reading this article.