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Burns from lipo?

I've seen many patients very badly burned lately after lipo. Why is it happening? I am talking about burns happening here in the US not other countries. Is equipment or aggressive lipo. Those burns i've seen them happening from many of the experienced doctors so experience was not the issue. Many of those burns required skin grafting afterwards.

Doctor Answers 7

December 11th, 2013

Burns from liposuction

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This may be incompetence on the part of the person doing the liposuction or use of liposuction equipment that creates heat.

Laser liposuction (e.g. Smart Lipo), ultrasonic liposuction (e.g. Vaser) and radiofrequency liposuction all create heat and all can burn the skin.

In my experience, they are heavily advertised but rarely improve results.

I recommend standard (Wells Johnson) or pulsatile (.e.g Microaire) liposuction for good results and skin safety. Neither create heat that can burn the skin.

Elizabeth Morgan, MD, PhD
December 10th, 2013

Burns from lipo?

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I use tumescent liposuction, and I have never had a burn in thousands and thousands of cases. This is usually related to a heat source associated with the liposuction.

Liposuction results are highly surgeon dependent. Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of liposuction and liposuction revision procedures each year. Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results.

Kenneth Hughes, MD

Los Angeles, CA

Learn more: http://www.hughesplasticsurgery.com/Liposuction.php

Kenneth B. Hughes, MD
December 10th, 2013

Burns and Liposuction- here's how it can happen Ask Dr Ellen

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Hello there,

The safest liposuction remains the Tumescent Technique during which a salt water solution is infused into the area to be treated. Blunt tipped instruments are used within the fatty tissue to contour and sculpt the region.

When liposuction is performed with ultrasonic equipment, or some chemicals, there can be an injury to the overlying skin from heat or a chemical reaction. A burn to the skin is possible.

Thanks for asking! Dr Ellen

Ellen A. Mahony, MD
December 11th, 2013

Burns with liposuction

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I discuss lipo devices during consultation. There are those that heat the skin and those that do not. I prefer those that do not. I do not find heating helps with skin contraction( as these machines profess), but they can cause burns. I have never seen a burn with traditional lipo.

Steven Wallach, MD
December 11th, 2013

Burns from lipo?

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Skin and tissue burns from traditional liposuction are not likely to happen. Laser and ultrasound liposuction may cause burns. For more details, see the link below.

Learn more: http://www.maeplasticsurgery.com/the-lowdown-on-liposuction-which-technique-is-better/

Karol A. Gutowski, MD, FACS
December 11th, 2013

Burns of the skin after liposuction are very very rare.

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the use of ultrasound or lasers to assist in liposuction creates thermal damage to the tissues and can result in burns to the skin. This would only result with very aggressive and unnecessarydelivery of energy.

Learn more: http://www.zubowicz.com/subpag.php?ID=20

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD
December 11th, 2013

Liposuction safety; expert Plastic Surgery

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Our office employs many types of liposuction treatments and burns have not been rarely encountered; even in patients requiring revision.

Raffy Karamanoukian MD FACS

Los Angeles

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.