Approximately one-third of all procedures we perform involve correcting liposuction complications from procedures performed elsewhere

The procedure occupies something of a grey area in that some people regard it as a surgical procedure and others do not. Liposuction is unequivocally an invasive surgical procedure which must be performed by a fully trained plastic surgeon. London Lipo Institute has a special interest in treating complications of liposuction which have been performed elsewhere.

Liposuction complications we commonly see from other clinics which require revision liposuction

– Overaspiration leading to a ‘scooped-out’ deformity – Excessively superficial liposuction resulting in skin unevenness and rippling – Lumpiness caused by inadequate drainage and retained collections of haematomas (clotted blood) 

– Megaliposuction (excessive volumes of fat removed) without sculpting the treatment areas 

– Performing liposuction on cases which require an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) The problem with having a consultation with a doctor who is not trained in plastic surgery is their unfamiliarity with the full range of reconstructive options which can be considered for your integrated treatment plan. GP’s frequently perform liposuction in the UK despite the fact that in most European countries, they are banned from performing the procedure. Complications can occur with any surgical procedure no matter how minor it is perceived to be. The ability for non-plastic surgeons to deal with liposuction complications is limited due to their unfamiliarity with the full range of plastic reconstructive procedures.

Always ensure the doctor who performs your procedure is a fully trained plastic surgeon 

– NOT a GP or a cosmetic/aesthetic doctor

A frequent problem we encounter is where patients present to us with redundant skin folds from liposuction performed on the lower abdomen without performing a simultaneous abdominoplasty. Non-plastic surgeons who assess you for a liposuction procedure do not have the necessary expertise in either fat transfer techniques or plastic reconstructive procedures which involve removing redundant skin or tightening the underlying muscle layers. Training in liposuction was not part of their training curriculum either.

“If the only tool in your toolbox is a hammer, you will think every problem is shaped like a nail!”

We often quote this famous saying to all our patients at the consultation to highlight the importance of your surgeon being able to perform the full range of surgical techniques for the best treatment results. 

This includes all of the following minimally invasive techniques: 

– Fat removal 

– Fat sculpting 

– This involves actively repositioning the awake patient throughout the procedure to address the problem fat deposits from all angles. This is true 3D advanced liposculpture.

 – Fat transfer  Your surgeon must also have the capability to offer the following plastic reconstructive techniques: 

– Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) – when abdominal liposuction is being considered – Brachioplasty (arm lift) – when upper arm liposuction is being considered 

– Necklift – when liposuction of the neck is being considered 

These procedures involve removal of excess skin and may also involve tightening of the underlying muscle layer. In many cases, a plastic surgeon will often advise against an invasive surgical procedure if the final result will not produce the result you desire. Unfortunately, with the many different types of doctors offering liposuction procedures – the emphasis will be very much on getting you to book for a liposuction procedure without a full discussion of ALL the treatment options. 

With the increasing sophistication of modern liposuction equipment, liposuction practitioners are able to extract large amounts of fat very quickly. The incidence of liposuction complications has sky-rocketed directly as a result of this. We increasingly perform revision surgery for patients who have had over-aspiration from body areas leading to a ‘scooped out’ deformity. This is sadly a very common occurrence at the inner aspect of the lower thighs. This leads to a very unsightly inverted ‘champagne bottle’ deformity and causes a significant deal of patient distress. This is one of the most common liposuction complications we treat. We perform all liposuction complication cases with special vibrational cannulas which help in the passage of the cannula through the fibrosed (scar tissue) areas. In areas which have had far too much fat removed leading to an unsightly ‘scooped out’ appearance – we often perform fat transfer techniques to correct the depressions. Fat transfer is a new revolutionary technique which involves the harvesting of fat deposits from areas such as the abdomen or flanks and re-injecting the fat with meticulous surgical precision into the problem areas. The following before and after photos demonstrate a typical ‘scooped out deformity’ of the outer thighs. This procedure was performed by a ‘cosmetic doctor’ at a leading central London clinic. He was unable to offer fat transfer to correct the deformity he had caused. The patient, understandably very upset presented to us for assessment. We performed fat transfer with fat taken from around the patient’s umbilicus. The appearance 3 months later is shown.