How much liposuction is 'safe'? The answer varies by body weight

What's the "safe" amount of fat to remove in patients undergoing liposuction? Rather than a hard-and-fast rule, the answer depends on the patient's body mass index (BMI), according to a report in the September issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

"Our study shows that liposuction is associated with a very low complication rate, with major complications occurring in less than 1 in 1,000 patients," comments ASPS Member Surgeon John Y.S. Kim of Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago. "It also calls into question the concept of simple absolute thresholds for lipoaspirate volume - the amount of liposuction that can be performed safely seems to depend in part on how much fat content a person begins with."

Study Proposes 'Relative Liposuction Volume Threshold' Based on BMI There's a long history of debate over the safe volume of fat tissue that can be removed by liposuction. Current ASPS guidelines define 5,000 milliliters (five liters) as "large-volume liposuction" potentially associated with a higher risk of complications. But the guidelines acknowledge there is no scientific data to support an absolute cutoff point.

Dr. Kim and colleagues analyzed data on more than 4,500 liposuction patients, drawn from the ASPS's "Tracking Operations and Outcomes for Plastic Surgeons" (TOPS) database. They evaluated the relationship between liposuction volume and complication risk--including interactions with the patient's BMI.

The overall complication rate was 1.5 percent, with few serious complications and no deaths. By far, the most common complication was a fluid collection (seroma) requiring drainage. The average liposuction volume was about two liters.

Liposuction risks and safety information

The decision to have plastic surgery is extremely personal. You will have to decide if the benefits will achieve your goals and if the risks and potential complications of liposuction are acceptable.

You will be asked to sign consent forms to ensure that you fully understand the procedure and any risks and potential complications.

Liposuction risks include:

- Anesthesia risks
- Bruising
- Change in skin sensation that may persist
- Damage to deeper structures such as nerves, blood vessels, muscles, lungs, and abdominal organs
- Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications
- Fluid accumulation
- Infection
- Irregular contours or asymmetries
- Irregular pigmentation
- Need for revision surgery
- Persistent swelling- Poor wound healing- Rippling or loose skin, worsening of cellulite- Swelling- Thermal burn or heat injury from ultrasound with the ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty technique