Five Common Mistakes In Liposuction

1. Too much fat was removed

If you consider the skin to be a balloon that it is not full of air but full of fat, there is a certain amount of air that could be let out of a balloon before it will start to lose shape and collapse. Liposuction is very similar in the sense that if too much fat is removed from the skin envelope, there will not be enough stability to hold the skin shape and there will be a collapse of the skin creating ripples, corrugations, dips and divots. It is a technical assessment by the surgeon as to the amount of volume that can be removed in any individual to avoid this complication. To remove too much fat from certain individuals is a mistake that can lead to an unsatisfactory outcome and require further revisional surgery.

2. Not enough fat was removed

This is a mistake the patients will make when they think that the surgeon is capable of removing “all of the fat” from a particular area.  The surgeon will make a decision as to the maximum volume of fat that can be removed without creating an adverse outcome. Patients need a clear understanding and expectation of what the results of any surgical procedure will be, and liposuction is very similar. This should all be established preoperatively to avoid patient disappointment.

3. Asymmetry post liposuction – The left and right sides are not equal

This, in some cases, is a technical problem that can occur when different volumes are removed from different areas. For this reason, surgeons will be vigilant as to the amount of time spent on a specific area, the volume of fat removed from the specific area and the thickness of the skin on pinching while the procedure is being performed. This is to ensure that the two areas are treated to create a symmetrical result. 

Some patients may well ask then, how it is possible to have a difference between the left and right and this is usually because there was a difference in the left and right sides before the procedure. A surgeon may try to address these differences at the time of surgery by removing different volumes and there may be an improvement in the asymmetry but there may not be a total correction. Preoperative photographs will be able to explain this if this is the case and this is something the patient should be made aware of, if this is the circumstances they are in prior to the procedure, to avoid disappointment at the final result that has achieved.

4. I am going overseas for my surgery

Overseas surgery may well offer a lower price point than treatment in Australia, but patients need to understand that you truly do get what you pay for. Surgery is a complete procedure that involves an initial consultation and assessment and this can only be done on a face-to-face basis between surgeon and patient. Following this, there needs to be time for the patient to consider their options which is often not the case when you fly to a foreign country for a procedure. There needs to be follow-up which is not provided when you return home if your surgery is performed overseas and this can open the door for complications and bad outcomes.

Overseas surgery may appear financially appealing but the correction of the problems that may well arise can be often far more expensive than having the procedure initially performed in Australia with a good outcome.

5. Liposuction is a lunchtime treatment

Liposuction is a surgical procedure that involves downtime for the patients. Patients will need to recover from this, and they will need a number of days, if not up to a week, off work depending on the extent of the liposuction performed, the number of areas and their physical health and fitness.