Chance my doctor can cut my corotid artery during chin liposuction? Also I have an an enlarged thyroid with nodules (Photo)

Question

My only fear going in for chin liposuction is my doc hitting the main artery. Is this possible?

Paul M. Steinwald, MD · Answer

. . . as per the answers below; in addition, fairly blunt cannulas are used, very superficially (near the skin surface).  There is often no need to go as low as the thyroid gland to get the results you are probably looking for. Hope this helps and Happy New Year!

Stephen Prendiville, MD · Answer

The carotid artery sits in a groove on the medial aspect of the sternocleidomastoid muscle in your neck.  In other words, it is extremely deep and would require a deliberate effort to injure.  So, in experienced hands, the chances of injury are pretty close to zero.  An enlarged thyroid/ thyroid nodules should not affect your surgery unless there is some concern about the possibility of thyroid cancer or if you have problems with your thyroid hormone levels.

Daniel J. Liebertz, MD · Answer

Chin liposuction, also known as submental liposuction, is used to target unwanted fat deposits under the jawline that contribute to double chins and loss of neck contour. Generally, submental liposuction addresses the layer of fat found immediately below the skin and above the muscular layer than envelopes the neck, called the platysma. Your carotid artery, jugular vein, thyroid gland, and other 'deep neck' structures are all found beneath the platysma muscle. Performed correctly, there is very minimal risk of injuring the carotid artery during submental liposuction. Similarly, a normal-sized thyroid gland lies both deep to - and lower than - the normally-targeted region of fat deposits and is therefore not at risk during chin lipo.

Wendell G. Miles, MD · Answer

If your surgeon is well-trained, and fully credentialed, carotid artery injury should be essentially a non-issue. Having operated on the carotid artery during my general surgery training, my knowledge of the anatomy should make risk of its injury remote. Is your thyroid condition symptomatic? Are you on medication for it? Those are important questions to answer before proceeding. Good luck.

William Portuese, MD · Answer

The carotid artery is located very deep in the neck, and is extremely unlikely to be cut during liposuction.   Choose your surgeon very wisely based on extensive experience to reduce complications .

Chance my doctor can cut my corotid artery during chin liposuction? Also I have an an enlarged thyroid with nodules (Photo)

Answers (7)

Answer: Carotid artery injury risk with chin liposuction.

Answer: Carotid artery injury risk with chin liposuction.

Answer: Chance my doctor can cut my carotid artery during chin liposuction?

Answer: Chance my doctor can cut my carotid artery during chin liposuction?

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Everything you need to know about Chin Liposuction

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Chance my doctor can cut my corotid artery during chin liposuction? Also I have an an enlarged thyroid with nodules (Photo)

Answers (7)

Answer: Carotid artery injury risk with chin liposuction.

Answer: Carotid artery injury risk with chin liposuction.

Answer: Chance my doctor can cut my carotid artery during chin liposuction?

Answer: Chance my doctor can cut my carotid artery during chin liposuction?

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Chin Liposuction

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.