The price of a toned body: possible complications after liposuction surgery

Relation to liposuction as a light cosmetic correction of the figure, which allows to obtain ideal shapes and a slim silhouette, is typical of many patients of aesthetic clinics. But the doctor, before undertaking liposuction, must remember and warn the patient about the possible risks of complications after liposuction, some of which depend on the body and on compliance with the doctor's recommendations, but some are due to medical errors. Estet-portal.com took a closer look at some of the complications of liposuction and their causes.

Why complications occur after liposuction surgery and what they are

One of the reasons for the appearance of complications after liposuction is the insufficient qualification of the surgeon, who was unable to pump out fat proportionally or removed an excessive amount of it. A complication can also be provoked by non-compliance with the rules of asepsis during the operation.

Often this cause is combined with the individual characteristics of the patient's body – for example, poor blood clotting or insufficient skin contractility.

The most common side effects after liposuction are:

• increased sensitivity of the skin at the sites of fat removal;
• accumulation of tissue fluid at the site of liposuction;
• edema;
• hyperpigmentation.

Chronic pain syndrome, hematomas and necrosis, septic complications are less common.

The most common cause of complications after liposuction is the patient's failure to follow the doctor's recommendations, which are important for preparing for surgery and for the rehabilitation period after it.

Early and late complications after liposuction surgery

Early complications after liposuction surgery include those side effects that occur immediately after surgery or within a month after it, while the rehabilitation period is underway.

Complication type	Possible Causes	Therapeutic measures
Seroma	- Klein's solution injected into the liposuction area in excess, facilitating the pumping out of fat, - damage to the lymphatic vessels during surgery	Install drainage for 2-3 days
Hematoma	Damage to the blood vessels during liposuction, due to which blood leaked out and accumulated in the vacated space	Self-resorbable if small sizes. With extensive – need aspiration to avoid abscess
Inflammation, necrosis	Violation of the sterility conditions of the operation and infection of the wound	Urgent antibiotic therapy
Hyperpigmentation	Inflammatory process in the area of ​​liposuction, provoking hyperactivity of melanocytes	Cosmetic hardware procedures
Hypersthesia	Nerve damage due to liposuction	Virtually uncorrectable

Late complications after liposuction, which appear several months after surgery, are:

• skin roughness in corrected areas – the reason can be both the surgeon's mistake in uneven pumping out of fat, and the patient's mistakes with too early loads and non-compliance with the mode of wearing compression underwear;
• disproportionality of different parts of the body – depends on the patient if he does not follow the diet and physical activity, and fat continues to accumulate in areas near those that have undergone liposuction;
• sagging skin – due to poor elasticity of the skin and the characteristics of the body, when parts of the body react differently to liposuction, it is corrected by surgical tightening.

There is no consensus among practitioners regarding the optimal amount of fat to be removed at one time during liposuction surgery.

The amount of fat removed during liposuction depends on the method of pumping fat, and on the total weight of the patient, and on many other factors. The standard amount is the removal of one and a half liters of fat at a time, but the surgeon determines the optimal amount himself, based on his own experience.

To reduce the risk of complications after liposuction surgery, not only a thorough preliminary examination of the patient will help, but also an urgent requirement to comply with the postoperative regime of eliminating any load and wearing compression underwear.