subject: Just How Safe Is Liposuction, Really? [print this page] It can be a little scary to consider getting any surgery. To trust a surgeon to cut open your body can be an intimidating thought. Fortunately, most surgeries have become increasingly safe, and experienced surgeons are not likely to make mistakes. Liposuction is a minor surgery that is remarkably safe as long as certain precautions are taken.
The frightening thought of trusting someone with your life can be ameliorated a little by learning about advances in medicine. Better equipment and more stringent procedures have made modern surgeries much safer than they were in the past.
Liposuction is a fairly new surgery, and it is considered to be cosmetic. This means it is done to make a person look better rather than for health reasons.
The best candidates for the surgery are those without serious health problems. This is especially true when it comes to weight. Liposuction cannot be done on people who are obese.
Although it may sound backward, it is only really safe to remove fat from people who don't have much excess fat. It is safest and most effective on people who are within a healthy weight range already.
Why? There are a lot of reasons. One is that most obese people have several health problems associated with their obesity. Heart and circulation problems, in particular, can prevent healing.
It is also shocking to the body to have its fat stores depleted. Taking too much (more than ten or fifteen pounds) at once can cause the body to go into shock and may even be fatal.
To prevent this from happening, fluids are constantly pumped into the body during the surgery and the fluid levels are carefully monitored for balance.
Because liposuction is a surgery, it comes with the risks associated with all surgeries.
Infection is always a danger, and great lengths are taken to keep the body and all the instruments that are used sterile. Often patients are given antibiotics before or after surgery as an added protection.
Adverse reactions to medication or anesthetics are always a possibility. In rare cases, anesthesia can cause death. Because of the danger of drug interactions, it's imperative to let the physician know all medications that may be in your system at the time of the surgery.
Few things in life come without some risk, and liposuction is no different. Although it comes with some dangers, it is still considered to be quite safe for healthy people. Those who are at a healthy weight with no serious health problems are not at significant risk.
