Fat should be removed by a cannula

Hisham Seify, MD, PhD answers: Does fat enter the bloodstream after laser liposuction?

If not, where does it go?  How do surgeons even know?


Hisham Seify, MD, PhD
8 months ago

Fat should not enter the blood stream after laser liposuction or any type of liposuction. The laser energy used should be used only for melting the fat. The second step should be removing the fat from the body by a real cannula.

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A: Yes, a small amount of fat usually does

John P. Di Saia, MD
7 months ago

Hello,

Fat disrupted by both tumescent and other forms of liposuction in a very small way enters the blood stream. This can vary in its extent. Fat embolism (fat travelling via the bloodstream) is a very rare cause of problems leading many surgeons to recommending limitations in the amount of liposuction performed in one sitting.

WIth that being said in several hundred cases, I have never seen this embolized fat cause a problem in my patients. Perhaps the amount that gets to the bloodstream varies also between surgeons due to technical reasons. This has not been proven.

So, the answer is "Yes," but usually to such a small extent that it causes no problems.

 

 

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