How common is pulmonary embolism in plastic surgery?

Thank you for your excellent questions.  Pulmonary embolism is thankfully an exceedingly rare complication in elective aesthetic surgery due to the good general health of patients pursuing surgery.  There are many steps take to minimize blood clot formation, including optimizing one's medical condition, the use of preoperative blood thinners, sequential compression devices intraoperatively, appropriate patient positioning in the OR, limiting operative time, early post surgery walking, and blood thinners after surgery.  Voice your concerns with your surgeon, they will work with you to minimize any risks, both behavioral and genetic, that may be a risk factor in clot development.

Fortunately pulmonary embolus after elective cosmetic surgery is uncommon but it can occur. The best prevention is preop screening of high risk patients. Sequential compression devices intraop, Lovenox injections, early ambulation and avoiding lengthy surgery times are other factors in keeping the incidence low.