Liposuction on saddlebags/outer thighs, are death ratios something to worry about? (Photo)

Question

Hello, I workout a lot and I’m quite fit but there’s stubborn outer thigh fat (saddle bags) that I can’t seem to get rid of completely. I’ve been thinking of getting liposuction only on the saddle bags. However, I’ve read a lot of articles that mentioned the death ratios and all the incidents that ended up in death. It made me really scared. I just want to know if it’s something to worry about Thank you

Semih Yildiz, MD, FEPOBRAS · Answer

I reviewed the photo. You appear fit, with localized fullness in the outer thigh/saddlebag area, which is the type of contour concern that can sometimes respond well to conservative liposuction.

Any elective surgery has risk, and death after liposuction has been reported, but it is very rare when the procedure is limited, the patient is healthy, and surgery is done by a properly trained surgeon in an accredited setting. The risks that surgeons try to prevent include blood clots, fat embolism, anesthesia problems, fluid shifts, lidocaine toxicity, bleeding, infection, contour irregularity, and skin laxity.

For saddlebag-only liposuction, the risk is generally much lower than with very large-volume liposuction, long combined surgeries, or procedures such as BBL where fat is injected. The safety details matter: your medical history, BMI, clotting risk, medications, smoking/nicotine status, type of anesthesia, planned volume, compression, and early walking after surgery. If you decide to proceed, choose a board-certified plastic surgeon, ask where the surgery is performed, who provides anesthesia, what volume is expected, and what their plan is for blood clot prevention. It is reasonable to be cautious, but this is not usually a procedure to fear when it is done conservatively and safely.

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello Reserved578865. Thank you for your question regarding liposuction safety.

Thank you for your history and your pictures. If you have isolated areas of fat, liposuction is an effective surgical procedure to remove fat permanently from the affected area. Like any surgery, liposuction has its associated risks. It is important to understand that liposuction is a real surgery and should not be taken lightly. While there have been reported deaths associated with liposuction, it is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in the US, and deaths are statistically exceedingly rare.

In your case, given that you are healthy and only have small pockets of fat, you would be at an extremely low risk of having complications or death after liposuction surgery. Before any surgical procedure is scheduled, preoperative labs, EKG, and chest x-ray are obtained to assess risk factors and ensure your safety.

Overall, I think you would be safe to undergo liposuction of your saddlebags. However, it is always important to consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon who can provide you with detailed information and address any concerns you may have.

Good luck. I hope I’ve answered your question regarding liposuction safety.

Sincerely,

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FASMBS, FICS

George Marosan, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question and photo. First of all, liposuction of the saddlebags is a safe area to work on. There are no major blood vessels in the area which can lead to blood vessel laceration and fat embolus or death. Of course if you choose the wrong surgeon or non-surgeon doing the procedure, untoward effects can happen with asymmetry, irregularities and poor results.
Saddlebags are better visualized from the back view. What I see in this front view is strong muscular thighs, minimal saddlebags, hip dips and excess fat rolls above the groin crease. As a Total Definer plastic surgeon, you would get the best results from liposuction of the fat rolls, fat grafting the hip dips to give a smooth feminine curve instead of the "violin" deformity that you have. The saddlebags need to be done judiciously from the back to keep  a feminine curve. If it is overdone, it will masculinize this area for you. See a board certified plastic surgeon with extensive experience in body sculpting for an in person consultation/evaluation. Good luck.

Zoran Potparic, MD · Answer

It is very likely that liposuction of both lateral (saddle bags) and medial, inner thighs would be best option for you. This procedure can be done in twilight anesthesia which will further decrease risks of blood and fat cloths. Incident of deadly outcome is very low in your case. Hope this helps.

Finny George, MD · Answer

Hi, thank you for sharing your question. Liposuction in this area is extremely safe and a complication such as death from saddle bag liposuction would be extremely rare, if at all.

Arif Eroglu, MD · Answer

Hello; you seem to have fat and loose skin on your legs. If, accompaniments with lubrication; if you have loose skin; in addition to Vaserlipo; I recommend for you to get Renuvion J Plasma or Bodytite treatments. The amount of fat to be removed from you; the ratio to your body mass; is pretty low. Mortality rate; associated with this type of procedure; is quite low. However, no implementation under no circumstances; mortality rate or complication rate; is not zero.

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

Liposuction of the saddlebags/legs would be a great choice for you.  Safety is always the number one priority in surgery.  The first step in your safety starts with you!  Begin by researching experienced board certified plastic surgeons near you.  Research credentials.  Look at before/after photos.  Then schedule consultations with those who meet your criteria.  Your surgeon should evaluate your medical history and examine you to determine if you are a good candidate for the procedure.  This will include reviewing your medications and if you are a smoker, etc.  Ensure that your surgery will be in performed in an accredited facility.  And remember to ask lots of questions.  After surgery closely follow your post operative instructions and keep your surgeon aware of any concerns.  These steps will help keep your risk low while optimizing your results.

Connie Hiers, MD, FACS · Answer

Liposuction is one of the safest cosmetic procedures done. I do recommend going to a board-certified plastic surgeon who does lot of procedures and not someone who is not a surgeon but just took a weekend course.  You can also do awake liposuction, especially for the outer thighs, and even have less risk.

Richard R. Orr, MD · Answer

I have done a tremendous amount of liposuction over my 32 years in practice. I have done liposuction on my wife about 5 times, in different areas, on my sister twice.  Liposuction was considered one of the safest plastic surgery procedures until some of the newer techniques came along that allowed us to remove far larger amounts of fat.  Studies have shown the death rates went up significantly with the larger amounts of fat removed.  Therefore, I limit how much fat I remove at any one time.  I think liposuction is incredibly safe, as long as the surgeon has a lot of experience and knows the safe limits.  It is hard to tell how your flanks and saddle-bags look in this photo.  But I seriously doubt that you have enough fat to be a safety concern. Sure, liposuction has its risks, as does all surgery.  But I consider liposuction, in the right hands, to be one of the safest procedures we do!

Kenneth R. Francis, MD, FACS · Answer

Dear Reserved,
Congratulations on building an amazing body!  Although there will always be risks to surgery, no matter how minor, liposuction of the saddlebags carries an extremely low risk of death.  It can sometimes be performed under local anesthesia as well, with an even lower risk.  Good luck!

Liposuction on saddlebags/outer thighs, are death ratios something to worry about? (Photo)

Answers (11)

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