Anaesthesia related to liposuction as well as other surgical interventions carries a small risk on its own and essentially represents the most controlled aspect of any surgical treatment.
Bleeding and bruising after liposuction tends to be variable and to some extent is proportionate with the volume of reduction through liposuction.
The risk of infection is relatively low with liposuction, but will be increased by smoking or some medical conditions like diabetes. Smoking, vaping and any other nicotine intake should be stopped 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after the surgery.
Even with the antibiotic therapy it is possible to have an infection and if you believe that the redness in the treatment area is suggesting an infection you should contact your surgeon urgently.
Deep vein thrombosis is the complication of clots in the leg veins that can occur after surgical treatments. Occasionally these clots can travel to the lungs, which is called pulmonary embolism. The protocols to reduce this risk include walking early, a good fluid intake, wearing compression stockings, calf pumps and sometimes medication that thins the blood.
Pain after liposuction is usually moderate but will be more significant with larger volume treatments. Some patients have a tendency to prolonged pain response or neuropathic chronic pain after surgical treatments or trauma and will require a different approach in order to improve. Pain specialists are typically involved with the management of this type of problem.
Treatment of post liposuction pain or discomfort is usually achieved with paracetamol and codeine and at discharge from hospital a stronger medication is also provided as backup. It is important to avoid aspirin as it can lead to significant bruising or bleeding.
Numbness around the treatment area with liposuction is relatively common and most of the time is self limited.
Asymmetry is an inevitable characteristic of the human body and liposuction cannot overcome this. At the time of the surgery it is possible to improve some aspects of asymmetry and this is usually covered in the preoperative consultation.
The scars following liposuction are relatively small, but on occasion may become thick and lumpy or hypertrophic/keloid. If this occurs they will require treatment to improve.
Skin irregularities are possible following liposuction and more likely to happen when the skin envelope is thin and less elastic. It represents a concern irrespective of the type of liposuction used.
Over or undercorrection following liposuction is the situation where the contour correction is exaggerated or insufficient. Treatment of undercorrection is typically a repeat liposuction, after a period of time to allow for appropriate settling in the treatment zones; overcorrection may require fat transfer to restore volume and smoothness to the area.
Discolouration is the risk of slight pigmentation over the liposuction treated areas, more likely to occur in darker skin types.
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