iconLiposuction Complications



Liposuction complications are medically defined as the unexpected outcomes of a surgical procedure. On most occasions, these complications are patient driven. They mainly occur when patients fail to like the outcomes of the liposuction procedures. Sometimes however, wrongful procedural mishaps are to blame for some of these complications.

Liposuction complications

Popular complications that relate to liposuctions

1. Excessive liposuction
In this case, fats exceeding the required amount are removed from body parts, using the various liposuction procedures. It can also be caused by the liposuction of numerous body parts, than a healthy body can handle. By far, this is the most common type of liposuction complication. The body also suffers from excessive anaesthetic exposure in this procedure.

2. Normal and minor complications
These are complications that are not life threatening. They may include temporary bruising, skin discolouration, nerve injury, oedema and swelling, fainting and allergies. Most of these are generally not life threatening but popular among liposuction patients.

3. Rare and severe complications
As the name suggests, these complications are rare but severe. They include surgical disturbance of body tissues, abdominal perforations, brain damage as a result of lack of oxygen under general anaesthesia, violent allergic drug reactions, aspiration pneumonia, permanent nerve damage, potentially fatal cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac arrest and seizures.

Liposuction complications

4. Risks associated to anaesthesia
Most of these risks affect the body’s respiratory functions. Although less common, anaesthesia related complications may signify bigger surgical complications like excessive liposuction. These complications are characterised by respiratory depression, nausea and vomiting, and breathing complications.

5. Drug related complications
There are several drugs used in liposuction. Depending on an individual’s body system, some of the drugs used to contain the severity of the procedure are detrimental. The popular drugs, which interfere with the surgery, are anti-clotting drugs like aspirin. They increase bleeding instances during the procedure, especially when used a short while before surgery.

6. Ultrasonic assisted liposuction complications
This complication involves the use of electrical ultrasonic energy to reduce the amount of subcutaneous fat on the skin. This electric energy mechanically harms the skin, injuring the skin tissue.

 Prevention of liposuction complications
There is no definite way by in liposuction complications can be completely eradicated. However, some of those considered to acutely reduce instances of these complications include:

1. Management of surgery expectations- Patients should lean to accept the outcome of their surgeries.

2. Doctors should take patients’ medical histories before surgery to ascertain patient fitness regarding surgical procedures.

3. Management of fats removed- surgeons and patients should desist from temptation to remove all fats because fats are still essential for the normal body functions.

Liposuction complication occurrence

The rates at which liposuction complications occur in the human body vary. This is because, no form of surgery is considered full proof or absolutely safe. However, depending on before-surgery tests carried out on an individual, it is easy to predict the safest type of liposuction procedure to be used with minimum complications. It is also important to exhaust all the other means necessary to solve a body issue without involving surgery as the first option.