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Liposuction Problems

Americans in general are obsessed with the perfect human body. Billions of dollars are spent each year on diets and plastic surgery. One of these surgical procedures is liposuction, which removes fat that is under the skin with special suction equipment. The procedure, which is common with both women and men, can be done on many parts of the body, from the facial cheeks, to the stomach, to the calves. As with any surgery, however, there can be complications. You need to be aware of these possible risks and problems when deciding whether or not to have this procedure.

  1. Loose Skin

    • When a large amount of fat is removed from the body at the same time, there is the possibility of loose skin. The result will be based on the elasticity of your skin. For example, stretch marks are a sign of poor elasticity. Individuals with stretch marks may have a greater risk of having excessive loose skin, which has to be removed during this surgery or at a later time.

    Lumps and Bumps

    • There is always the chance that the skin will not be smooth following surgery. More than 20 percent of patients will have appearance irregularities, such as unwanted lumps and asymmetry. These individuals may require additional surgical alterations.

    Scars

    • The incisions made to insert the liposuction tube will form a permanent scar. This incision is very small, less than 4 to 10 mm long, and is normally hidden in locations, such as the pubic hair or creases of the skin. There are ways to prevent the scar tissue from hardening and turning brown. Also scar reduction creams often help. A year or so after the surgery, the scars will become a very fine white line.

    Swelling

    • In most cases, the body will swell after surgery. This is called edema. This swelling can last for weeks or even months following the liposuction. The pressure that the swelling places on the nerves can sometimes lead to numbness or a tingling sensation. Wearing a specially made compression clothing will decrease the swelling, reduce the time for healing and ease comfort.

    Infection

    • Regardless of what type of surgery a person has, infections may occur. This is also the case with liposuction. The infection could be anywhere from minor to severe. In many cases, physicians will automatically prescribe antibiotics as a preventative measure. Signs of infection include skin tenderness or red coloring, nausea and vomiting, fever and chills.

    Organ Damage

    • When the surgeon performs the liposuction procedure, only a very small incision is made. It is not possible to see where the tube is probing, so sometimes there is a risk of puncturing the internal organs like the outer intestinal wall. When this happens, the patient may have an infection. It may also be necessary to repair the organ.

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