What almost everyone has
- bruising and swelling, which can last up to six months
- numbness, which usually settles in six to eight weeks
- small scars where the tube went in
- fluid leaking from the cuts for the first days
- firmness and lumps under the skin while it heals
Less common
- lumpy, wavy or uneven results
- a haematoma (bleeding under the skin) or a seroma (a pocket of fluid), sometimes needing draining
- numbness that lasts for months
- changes in skin colour
- infection
- an allergic reaction to the anaesthetic
- feeling the result wasn't what you hoped, and wanting a second operation
Rare and serious
- a blood clot in a leg vein (deep vein thrombosis), which can travel to the lungs (pulmonary embolism)
- fluid build-up in the lungs from the fluid injected during surgery
- injury to internal organs from the cannula
- for devices that use heat (vaser, laser): burns
Your surgeon should explain how likely each one is for you, and what they would do about it.
How to lower your risk
- choose a surgeon on the Medical Council's Specialist Division in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery
- have it done where there is an anaesthetist and a plan if something goes wrong
- be honest about every medicine, supplement and the contraceptive pill (it raises the clot risk)
- stop smoking well before surgery
- don't have a very large volume or several big procedures in one go without a clear reason
- walk from the first day, wear the garment, and go to every check-up
Warning signs after surgery
- a hot, painful, swollen calf: urgent GP appointment
- sudden breathlessness or chest pain: call 112 or 999
- fever, spreading redness or pus from a cut: ring the clinic the same day
Questions people ask
Is liposuction safe?
For a healthy person, done by a specialist with an anaesthetist, serious problems are rare. No surgery is risk-free, and the risk rises with large volumes and combined operations.
Who is at higher risk of a clot?
The HSE lists people who are overweight, who smoke, who've had a clot before, who take the combined pill, and who are less mobile after an operation, among others.
Can liposuction go wrong cosmetically?
Yes: unevenness, dents or a result that doesn't match what you wanted. That's why the surgeon's own results with bodies like yours matter.