All operations have risks, and liposuction is no exception. The best way to reduce your risk of experiencing complications is to choose a qualified and experienced surgeon to perform your cosmetic plastic surgery. This article explains what qualifications you should look for in a surgeon and the most common complications and risks associated with liposuction.

Your surgeon should provide you with information about all potential complications before your surgery and ask you to sign a consent form. The consent form indicates that you have been told about the risks and you give permission for the procedure to go ahead. It is important that you understand the risks and what they mean before you consent to the procedure so don't be afraid to ask questions.

What Are The Risks?

The risks of liposuction increase with the number of regions of the body which are treated during the operation or if large volumes of fat are removed. Some risks are applicable to all types of surgery such as infection, shock from excessive fluid loss, blood clots in the lung, haematoma, swelling and reactions to the anaesthetic.

Some complications are particular to liposuction. These include:

• contour irregularities;
• skin excess;
• scarring;
• temporary numbness or discolouration in the treated area;
• damage to surrounding tissues or organs from the cannula;
• dimpling, wrinkling, or unevenness of the skin over the treated area;
• fluid imbalance from the wetting solution in combination with the loss of fluid from the liposuction; and
• the need for additional surgery to correct these issues

Scars are an inevitable part of any invasive surgery. Your surgeon will work to minimise scarring and will place your scars as inconspicuously as possible by making the incisions in easily hidden sites or along natural skin lines and creases. However, some people are more susceptible to scarring than others. Wearing the elastic compression garments will help to reduce scarring.

Ways To Minimise Potential Risks

Liposuction surgery is generally a safe procedure if performed by a qualified and experienced surgeon and has a high success rate for the right candidate with realistic expectations. There are qualifications you should look for in order to determine if your surgeon is qualified to perform you surgery.

Plastic surgical Fellows of one of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons, including the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and Royal College of Surgeons of England have completed post graduate training in plastic surgery and work under strict professional and ethical guidelines. However, training in plastic surgery does not necessarily mean training in cosmetic surgery, so it is important to establish whether your surgeon has undertaken dedicated training in cosmetic surgery. In Australia, the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery is the only College that offers formal training and accreditation in cosmetic medicine and surgery.

If the Surgeon you consult doesn’t have their qualifications on display, you should ask to see them. Choosing a Surgeon with these professional qualifications makes it more likely that you will get a result you are happy with and will potentially reduce the risk of complications.

The Surgeons of NorthEast Plastic Surgery have undergone rigorous surgical training and their expertise is the result of extensive experience in cosmetic plastic surgery.

Next Step

If you are considering liposuction and have questions you would like to ask or if you would like to book a confidential consultation at a cost of $140, click below or call (03) 9088 5000 for the Melbourne practice or (07) 3180 3400 for the Brisbane practice. The Cosmetic Surgery Co-ordinators of NorthEast Plastic Surgery will organise a consultation with Mr Tansley or Dr Seneviratne who are highly qualified and experienced surgeons. They will assess your individual requirements and discuss your preferences in regard to liposuction surgery.