I have a ICD and on xeralto. Which method of liposuction will be safe for me?

Thank you for this interesting question.  Liposuction of abdomen and thighs is usually a pretty standard procedure for most Board Certified plastic surgeons except, of course, in the face of blood thinners and implantable cardioverting defibrillators.Your question requires a discussion authorized by you between your plastic surgeon and your cardiologist.  Although I am not a cardiologist, I would hazard a guess that your defibrillator needs to be turned off during the surgery and your blood thinner needs to be stopped three days before liposuction.  That being said, you still need to call both your plastic surgeon and your cardiologist.

I appreciate your dilemma, but your first step would be discussing the possibility for elective, cosmetic surgery with your personal physician and your cardiologist.  Ask them if they would clear you for surgery.  If they give you the OK., then seek out a board certified plastic surgeon, and ask that your surgeon discuss the case with your doctors.  Be certain that the surgery will be done in a fully certified facility and a board certified anesthesiologist is present. Having your doctors work as a team gives the optimal care for you and a healthy positive result.  Good Luck.

Elective cosmetic procedures need to be balanced at all times in regards to risk versus benefit. Some patients are excellent candidates for liposuction and can have major life-changing outcomes. Other patients may not experience a significant benefit at all. If the benefits of the procedure are low, then little risk is justified. In order to have an elective procedure, you need a basic medical workup. This entails having your plastic surgeon communicate with your primary care physician, probably cardiologist and any other specialist who may be involved in your current medical treatments. Liposuction is typically a safe procedure with little blood loss and with a low risk for developing blood clots. When the procedure is done on awake patients with proper use of tumescent solution, the risk of either bleeding or developing a blood clot is reduced. It would most likely be recommended that you go off your blood thinners. At times, patients will use temporary blood thinners that can be stopped just before surgery. Ideally, your procedure would be done in a hospital setting. Some hospitals are friendly in regards to cosmetic surgery and have facility fees that are reasonable.Perhaps more than anything is the importance of being evaluated by an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon. The number of years and type of training undergone allows us to make careful assessments and understand risks related to surgery from a multitude of medical conditions. In combination with the expertise of your other physicians, this should help make the most accurate assessment. Start by seeking one or more consultations with board-certified plastic surgeons. The technique and brand of equipment used have little impact on the outcome of liposuction. The experience of the plastic surgeon does have an impact on the outcome.In my personal opinion, avoiding general anesthesia is important and advantageous.Each surgeon has their own way of performing these procedures and no one way is right or wrong.Best of luck,Mats Hagstrom, M.D.