Five Dangers of Liposuction

Liposuction is a surgical technique which can remove fatty deposits from specific locations on the body. Most often, these areas include the upper arms, thighs, knees, buttocks, abdomen, cheeks and neck. As it sounds, fat is 'suctioned' out of the body.

[tag-ice]Liposuction[/tag-ice] is best for those emotionally and physically healthy, and is most effective when used as a body shaping or body contouring procedure. Using liposuction as a means to lose weight is not that effective, because it is very easy to gain weight back, which will negate the liposuction procedure.

Like any other surgical procedure, liposuction carries with it certain risks. Let's look at the five main dangers of liposuction:

• Swelling (edema). This is a common after-effect of liposuction, and it represents the body's attempt to heal traumatized areas. Swelling normally decreases within a few days, but for some people, it can take weeks or months for swelling to completely subside. My friend, Laura, had liposuction on her thighs and it took more than two years for the swelling to completely disappear.
• Infection. Like any other invasive surgical procedure, liposuction can increase risk of infection. While all efforts are taken to minimize this risk, it still does remain a danger of liposuction.
• Embolism. This occurs when loosened fat enters the blood and clogs the blood vessels. In severe cases, it can block blood flow to the heart or brain, resulting in a heart attack or stroke. Emobolisms may be fatal.
• Punctures. During liposuction, your physician will move the suctioning tool rapidly under the surface of your skin. Your doctor won't always be able to tell exactly where the tool is going, as a significant amount of force is needed to break up the fat layer so that it may be suctioned away. During these rapid thrusts, it's possible that one of more of your internal organs will be damaged or punctured, especially if you are having liposuction performed at or around your abdomen. In some cases, surgery is required to repair punctures caused by [tag-tec]liposuction[/tag-tec].
• Fluid or Electrolyte imbalance. As you can imagine, removing all that fat also means your water and electrolytes travel with it, leaving your body out of balance after the procedure. This is managed during liposuction treatment by the injection of large amounts of fluid into the patient's body during the procedure. This helps maintain the normal fluid balance in the body, and reduces the chances of kidney problems.

Like any medical procedure, liposuction should be performed by a trained professional. Recently, a woman died from complications of liposuction which was performed in an unlicensed medical clinic. If you are seriously considering [tag-self]liposuction[/tag-self], seek reputable medical care and be aware of the risks post-treatment.