What Can You Do to Cut Your Risks After Liposuction?
Liposuction has been around for many years, and has evolved to be a safer and more effective procedure during that time. Today, liposuction remains one of the top-requested body-contouring procedures, with a high rate of patient satisfaction. As safe as liposuction has become, there is no such thing as a surgical procedure without the risk of complications. Liposuction’s risks are much lower today, but there are still measures you can take to lessen them further. Check these items off your pre-surgical to-do list if you’re a prospective liposuction patient.
What Risks Do Liposuction Patients Face?
Step one of minimizing your chance of post-surgical complications is to learn what you’re facing. The complications associated with liposuction are rare, so talking to other patients might not help you get a good idea about them. The following list includes the most common complications that liposuction patients have experienced:
- Infection is the result of bacteria that enters the body through an incision during surgery. Patients may experience inflammation and tenderness at the site as well as a fever and other signs of illness. Infections can be easily managed if caught on time. If not, they can progress to something much more serious and deadly.
- An embolism occurs when fat becomes loose during liposuction surgery and travels into the blood stream. Fat clusters can then travel through the blood vessels and attach to important organs in the body, such as the lungs, brain, and heart. The long-term effects of an embolism can include serious diseases and illness.
- Puncture wounds are sometimes made to the organs surrounding the treatment area if the cannula goes awry.
- Nerve damage can result from the placement of incisions or the movement of the cannula during the liposuction procedure. Often, this damage is accompanied by sensation changes in the nerves of the surrounding tissue.
- The formation of seroma, typically associated with excessive bleeding. Seroma form when serum, the liquid substance found in blood, pools in the pockets where fat has been removed by liposuction techniques.
These potential complications range in severity but all share a low occurrence rate. The medical and technological advancements we have made in recent years have brought these risks to an all-time low. Learn what you can do to make your own risks as close to 0 percent as possible.
Listen to Your Plastic Surgeon
When it comes to your liposuction surgery, your plastic surgeon is the expert. Following his advice is the key to a healthy, successful recovery. You will receive a list of instructions to follow before and after your liposuction procedure and you should follow them closely. Before surgery, steer clear of any medications or supplements that are not allowed, as these can interfere with your healing or, worse, interact with your anesthetic. Take steps to keep yourself free of illnesses in the days before your surgery, even the common cold.
Once surgery is over, you’ll have more instructions to follow to get you to the finish line. Get the right amount of rest, avoid the activities that could be dangerous for you, and manage your pain as directed, typically with prescription pain medication and cold compresses as needed. If possible, have a friend or family member help you around the house during the first few days after your surgery. This is a critical time for rest and minimal movement, so a helper can ensure you to stay still when it’s most needed.
Get Your Body Ready for Liposuction
After your consultation and before your procedure, you’ll have the time to learn about healthy eating and exercise habits, if you aren’t already practicing them. The truth is that you can’t go on a crash diet before your procedure; it’s dangerous and could affect your surgeon’s ability to deliver the liposuction results he or she promised. Likewise, you can’t put on a lot of weight either; this too will harm the end results you’ll get from your liposuction. If you force your body to change drastically, it can negatively affect your overall health, too.
Instead, get back on track with proper eating habits and a regular exercise routine. When you meet your plastic surgeon for a liposuction consultation, he or she will plan the surgical approach based on the way your body looks that day. The expectation is that nothing will change before your surgical date. Save the new weight loss initiative for after your recovery. Of course, you should mention any plans to lose weight to your surgeon, who may have some advice on how to incorporate liposuction and weight loss together safely.
Choose the Right Plastic Surgeon
Every procedure’s success rests on the shoulders of the plastic surgeon performing it. Be careful about how you choose your plastic surgeon, instead of springing for the first “doctor” who fits your budget. Do your homework about each surgeon’s experience, training, and patient satisfaction rate. Learn all you can about how they perform their procedures, how effective these methods are, and how safe they have been for patients in the past. Many surgeons will post patient testimonials on their websites, but you need to look deeper to find the right doctor for you. When you do find a doctor you can trust, it’s time to schedule a liposuction consultation to confirm it. Here, you can discuss your personal desires for your treatment and get your new surgeon’s expert opinion.
When it’s finally time to start moving on your own plans for liposuction, the right plastic surgeon makes all the difference. Consult with Dr. Ronald Lohner, an experienced and board certified plastic surgeon based in Philadelphia. He completed his undergraduate education at Dartmouth College and medical school at UMDNJ-Rutgers. Currently, Dr. Lohner is Chief of Plastic Surgery at Bryn Mawr Hospital and holds a faculty appointment at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine. His peers have selected him as a Philadelphia-area Top Doctor for the last eight years. His office is located at [primary_address] in [primary_city], [primary_statefull], on the Main Line. Please call his office at [primary_phone] to schedule a consultation for your liposuction procedure.