In a society in which beauty is often measured by slender bodies and youth, it is no wonder that thousands of Americans chase the "perfect" look by means of liposuction. Portrayed in upbeat tones and associated with Hollywood glamour, liposuction seems to offer instant help for unsightly bulges. Consumers checking out liposuction Web sites on the Internet are further assured by the positive information they find. There are liposuction risks, however, that few consumers understand. Learning the risks of liposuction is important, it will help you make a decision whether or not liposuction is right for you.

"There are probably hundreds of thousands of patients who have had body sculpting without complications," says Ann Graham, senior nurse consultant in CDRH's Office of Surveillance and Biometrics.

"But we are concerned about the published reports of patients who have not had a good outcome. They have undergone liposuction for weight reduction, not just body sculpting. Liposuction, in general, is a purely elective procedure. As such, our tolerance for an unsafe or harmful outcome is extremely low."

Liposuction Risks Little Understood
Although many consumers think of liposuction as a quick and permanent fix, it's likely that few understand its risks and frequently temporary results. There is no national group of consumers, nor one group representative of all clinicians, that is organized to oversee liposuction procedures and results.

Although the FDA is aware of problems published in medical literature and described by other sources, "very few adverse event reports are coming into the agency through its formal reporting channels" according to Anita Kedas, a nurse consultant in CDRH's Office of Surveillance and Biometrics. But the small number of reports may simply mean that negative outcomes aren't being reported.

Office-based procedures may present the greatest reporting problem. There's no requirement that adverse events from office procedures be reported, and most procedures are done in offices, according to Graham.

Even if offices are well equipped, she adds, patients often need days of continuous support such as rehydration, pressure dressings, and good nursing care, while others actually need resuscitation and hospitalization to recover. And if a patient goes to the emergency room for care, the FDA doesn't hear about it, adds Graham.