DVT Possible After Liposuction?

Question

Can deep vein thrombosis happen during or after liposuction and does it not happen to people while sleeping for like 8 hours without moving?   Does it happen because of the procedure itself, or if you didn’t move for long time?  Thank you.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD · Answer

Any period of true immobility can cause a DVT, awake or asleep. You must remember that even when we sleep, we tend to move every 5 minutes so that is why you do not dvelop clots every night. However, people are known to develop clots after prolonged sitting on planes, buses or trains. In fact, many overseas airplane instructions recommend calf exercises to lower the risk of clotting.
Many factors can effect the risk of developing a clot. It is not yet known whether the liposuction procedure specifically increases the risk.

Scott Tucker, MD · Answer

DVT with possible pulmonary embolus (blood clot to lung) can happen after or during surgery. Most physicians now are using sequential compression stockings to try and decrease the incidence of DVT, but it is still a possiblility although not a high probability.
DVT seems to happen more in longer procedures, people who smoke, people on hormone replacement, and people with a family history.
Talk to your doctor about your risk profile so that appropriate measures can be taken.
Good Luck,
Dr T

Toby Mayer, MD · Answer

In more than 30 years of doing liposuction, I have never had a patient have this problem. Furthermore, when we do long surgeries, we place compression stockings on the patient to prevent this.
Patients are up and walking after surgery so there should be no problem.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

Deep vein thrombosis can occur with any surgery or even without surgery. Some patients are prone to it becuase of a genetic disposition. Some things increase the incidence, this includes long operative times, abdominal surgeries, increasing age, to name a few. There are many steps that surgeons take to minimize these risks.

Darryl J. Blinski, MD · Answer

Sure, DVTs can occur after ANY operation from a facelift to liposuction to breast implants. Advise and precautions have been outlined by the previous expert posters.

Scott E. Kasden, MD, FACS · Answer

There are a number of reasons for DVT.
Immobility is one (Dick Cheyne got one aboard Airforce 2 from being seated for so long). Abnormality of the veins, dehydration, surgical procedures & anesthesia, cancer & other medical conditions.
DVT may occur with liposuction due to immobility and possiblity of causing "intravascular" depletion, which causes stagnation or decreased blood flow in the veins.
DVT's usually occur during the induction of anesthesia or shotrly after. However, they can occur after surgery if the patient doesn't walk around and drink a lot of fluids.
sek

John P. Stratis, MD · Answer

Very good question! The factors that help cause DVT are slowly flowing blood (stasis), trauma to the veins, surgery itself (hypercoagulability). When you are sleeping, there is only stasis but you are still moving around and your legs are moving. During surgery we do put special compression stockings on the legs to push the blood around in the veins. Trauma to the blood vessels can occur with liposutioning. Trauma to the body, i.e. surgery, leads to easier clotting blood (which makes sense). This combination of factors can lead to blood clots.

DVT Possible After Liposuction?

Answers (7)

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