Before you decide to undergo liposuction it’s important that you fully understand the potential risks and complications that can accompany the procedure. Liposuction is a routine cosmetic treatment but, as with any surgery, it can cause negative side-effects that you should be aware of. Discuss these with your physician during your consultation to be sure that liposuction is right for you.

Potential Liposuction Risks
Liposuction, like any surgery, can lead to complications that every patient should be aware of before committing to the procedure.

Skin conditions like ripples, looseness, uneven contours, irregular pigmentation, swelling, discolouration, a change in skin sensation, scarring and skin or nerve damage can occur as a result of the procedure. Liposuction can also lead to infection, fat and/or blood clots, excessive fluid loss (or fluid accumulation), poor wound healing, bleeding, persistent pain and/or leg swelling, asymmetry, damage to aspects of the body’s structural system (like the blood vessels, muscles, lungs, nerves and abdominal organs) and complications involving the pulmonary and cardiac systems or deep vein thrombosis. Anaesthetic use can also cause some risks. In certain cases a liposuction patient may need to undergo follow-up surgery as well.

Patients who opt for ultrasound-assisted liposuction may also experience heat injury or thermal burns from the ultrasound equipment used in the technique.

You will be asked to sign consent forms after discussing all potential side-effects and complications. The decision of whether or not to proceed with liposuction surgery is completely personal and can only be made by you. It’s completely natural to be nervous after absorbing so much information so be sure to talk about any fears or questions with your physician. S/he will help you to know as much as possible before deciding on whether or not to have liposuction performed.

Is Liposuction Right for Me?
Almost every healthy adult troubled by excess fat deposits (that fail to respond to the benefits of healthy eating and exercise) can benefit from liposuction surgery. The ideal liposuction candidate is a non-smoker, is free of any serious medical conditions, life-threatening illnesses or conditions that impair the body’s natural healing processes.

An ideal patient should also be within 30% of their ideal body weight and should have good muscle tone and healthy, firm and elastic skin. It’s also extremely important that a liposuction candidate has specific, realistic goals in mind for the procedure and a positive outlook on the process involved in addressing these issues.

You must also be willing to follow your physician’s instructions on pre- and post-operative care in order to achieve the best possible results and allow the body to heal properly. After your liposuction surgery it is essential that you are careful to protect the area of treatment from being unnecessarily strained, moved or touched while healing. Your physician will give you details on how to care for yourself during recovery and if you follow these steps they will greatly minimize the risk of experiencing liposuction side-effects or complications.