All forms of plastic surgery are gaining in popularity, liposuction is no exception. The main danger of liposuction as with any cosmetic procedure is not doing your homework about what the dangers of the surgery are. The American Society of Plastic Surgery did a survey released in March that states "Although 8 out of 10 cosmetic plastic surgery patients are satisfied with their surgical experience, nearly 40 percent believe they should have been more proactive in learning about potential side effects and complications before the surgery."



Liposuction was first used to correct small irregularities of the patient's body. It is now used in different areas of the body from the knees all the way up to the neck. It is now considered a major procedure and the prospective patient should treat it that way. While reported complications and risks have been exaggerated by some in the media, the danger of liposuction is real.

What are the dangers and what can I do about them? The first thing that you need to understand is that there are a range of complications and dangers that are a result of this surgery. Typically a surgeon will categorize the dangers as mild, moderate or severe. While a mild danger of liposuction is not life threatening, it could still result in permanent complications or side effects.

Mild dangers of liposuction are usually seen immediately after the surgery. Even if you have picked the best board-certified surgeon, loose, excess skin can be the result of the operation due to the large amounts of fat removed at once. This of course depends on how much fat you are having removed and where, so the effect will vary. This will also depend on individual patient's skin elasticity. Excess skin can be removed by other surgeries. A good example of that would be a tummy tuck.

Scars can be caused by the incisions made from the liposuction procedure. These scars can be permanent though you can help them fade with the use of certain creams.

The moderate dangers of liposuction can last for several weeks or months. These include swelling and infection. If you are having ultrasonic-assisted lipoplasty burns could occur. The swelling can cause pressure on the nerves that can result in numbness. Antibiotics are recommended when you get infections after the procedure. Symptoms of infection include redness, tenderness, fever, chills and vomiting.

As we move into the severe dangers of liposuction please note that these rarely occur. It is better to be aware of any danger of liposuction though. These dangerous results include:

• organ damage from injury
• pulmonary embolism
• fluid imbalance
• lidocaine overdose
• liposuction deaths

Organ damage can occur if the surgeon accidentally punctures the patient's internal organs. This could damage the organs and result infection. The only remedy for this is surgery to repair the damage. Pulmonary embolism can be caused by displaced pieces of fat that may then travel to the lungs. This would cause the patient difficulty breathing which could send you to the emergency room. Lidocaine overdoses and fluid imbalances can cause serious complications that can lead to death.

The best remedy to avoid these dangers is to be well informed. Do your research regarding the doctors that are going to be involved in your surgery. Investigate the specifics of the type of liposuction you are having. Don't be a victim of the greatest danger of liposuction - ignorance.