You’ve been on and off some sort of exercise regime since you turned sixteen. You’ve tried every diet fad from Paleo to South Beach to Atkins, and yet each year you seem to be getting bigger and bigger. After seeing countless pictures of yourself surrounded by thinner friends and family, it has come to the point where you’re seriously thinking about liposuction.
Although you know it’s expensive, and may hurt for a while after, it’s better than pushing yourself at the gym until you can barely walk and still not seeing any results, right? At least liposuction will guarantee a change in your body for the money, energy and time you put into it. However, the only thing that’s holding you back is the risk of injury.
You’ve read that the procedure has gotten a lot safer over the past ten years, but what could still go wrong? What happens if the doctor screws up or makes a poor decision that causes severe injuries? What exactly are your risks?
Liposuction Risks
Advances with anesthesia, surgical techniques, and fat maneuverability have made the liposuction procedure much safer than when it started. In fact, certain liposuction techniques have had no reported deaths since 1990. However, since the procedure requires anesthesia, surgery, and several medical personnel to perform it, malpractice and adverse effects still pose risks for the patient. These risks include:
- IV drip hazards. Injection of inappropriate amounts of IV fluid can lead to organ failure
- Anesthesia toxicity. Adverse reactions to anesthesia can cause labored breathing, hypoxia (oxygen depletion to brain and organs), blood poisoning, irregular heartbeat, coma, and death.
- Muscle or organ trauma. The cannula—the tool that doctors use to extract the fat—can sometimes scrape muscle tissue, puncture organs, or lacerate nerves.
- Infection. Infections caused by unsterile equipment can cause serious or life-threatening injuries such as necrotizing fasciitis (when bacteria eats away at the tissue) or toxic shock syndrome (a serious, sometimes fatal infection caused by a bacteria).
- Burns. During ultrasound-assisted liposuctions, the metallic probe may become very hot and cause severe internal burns if not adequately monitored.
- Excess bleeding. It is normal to have some bleeding during the procedure, but if your physician nicks a blood vessel or artery, you suffer the risk of extreme blood loss.
- Embolisms. Embolisms can occur if your doctor breaks blood vessels and the loosened fat enters the bloodstream through them. Those pieces of fat can get trapped in the blood vessels, gather in the lungs, or travel to the brain, restricting blood flow to vital organs.
When Liposuction Malpractice Leaves You Heavy (Hearted)
It isn’t a crime to want to look your best, so why should you be punished if your liposuction procedure goes wrong? The answer is: you shouldn’t! If you believe that medical negligence during your liposuction procedure has caused you excess pain, suffering, or injury, call us today. Our extensive knowledge and experience with malpractice cases will make sure you get the compensation, justice and peace of mind you deserve. Call now to let us take the weight of injustice off your shoulders.
Know someone who is weighing her options for liposuction? Make sure she is aware of the dangerous risks involved. Use your social media to share this page on Facebook, Twitter, or Google Plus. You can also tell your loved ones to contact us directly to discuss any potential questions or concerns they may have about recent liposuction injuries. We’re here to make sure justice is upheld for you, your family, and your loved ones!