[No problem with liposuction?]

Abstract

Subcutaneous liposuction in tumescent technique is the most frequent aesthetic plastic procedure in the United States. In Germany, nearly 250,000 liposuctions are done per year by a variety of surgical and nonsurgical specialists including plastic surgeons, dermatologists, gynecologists, oral surgeons, and otolaryngologists in settings ranging from hospital operating rooms to physicians' offices. The method is applied and promoted as an easy-to-learn technique that is suited as an outpatient procedure. Although major complications seem to be rare, there are definite risks, including death at a rate of 1/5,000 procedures. Major risk factors are insufficient hygiene standards, multiliter wetting solution infiltration, megavolume aspiration, multiple cosmetic procedures in one setting, sedative and anesthetic drug hangover threatening ventilation, permissive postoperative discharge, and mistakes in patient selection. When major complications occur, office-based practitioners may refer patients to hospital emergency departments, where medical personnel unfamiliar with this procedure may underestimate the risk of major complications.