Every now and then, the news headlines tell the story of a cosmetic surgery gone wrong. Although liposuction is considered a relatively safe cosmetic procedure, like any surgery, there are several potential risks. If you or a loved one is considering undergoing lipo, you should make yourself aware of the potential liposuction dangers and complications that accompany these common procedures.

Infection

Of all the liposuction dangers, infection is the most common concern. Any opening of the body has the potential of being infected by bacteria. And because lipo requires some form of incision, puncture, or injection, there is a potential for infection at the entry site.

Allergies

If you've never undergone surgery before, you may not know how your body will react to the various forms of anesthesia, fluids, and supplies used during lipo. If you are allergic to one of these items, it can be very dangerous depending on your body's reaction. When it comes to liposuction dangers in the form of an allergic reaction, having to undergo general anesthesia holds the highest level of risk. However, the newer lipo techniques typically require only a local anesthetic, which reduces the risk to patients. However, there is still a chance that you might be allergic to something else used during the procedure.

Skin Irregularities

Although this problem may not be viewed as one of the liposuction dangers per say, irregularities in the skin are considered an adverse side effect that patients do not want to experience. This problem can occur when the cannula or tube used during lipo damages surrounding structures or when fat very close to the skin is removed. This can result in discoloration of the skin, dimpling, and a general uneven appearance to the area of the treatment.

One of the extreme liposuction dangers is skin necrosis. This is when the skin overlying the area of treatment dies due to damage to surrounding blood vessels and tissues or an overall adverse reaction to the liposuction itself. As the skin dies, it begins to peel away from the body. When this occurs, skin grafts are often required to aid in the healing process and the recovery time can be quite lengthy. How a person's skin reacts to lipo depends on a variety of circumstances, including the age of the patient and health.

Damage to Internal Organs

There are cases where patients have had a vital organ damaged during lipo. This is one of the liposuction dangers that surgeons do their best to avoid, but because surgeons cannot see where the cannula used during the procedure goes, there is a risk of it puncturing surrounding organs. When this occurs, emergency surgery to repair the organ is often required. Patients are also at a higher risk of death in these instances. A surgeon with expertise in lipo is very unlikely to allow this to occur, so it is very important to make sure your surgeon has the necessary training and experience to lessen your risks of this potential liposuction danger.

With the many advances made in the field of cosmetic surgery, liposuction dangers have lessened. However, no surgery is without some form of risk, so it is very important that you make yourself aware of the potential liposuction dangers and risks before deciding to undergo such a procedure.