How likely am I to get a fat embolism or pulmonary embolism from in office liposuction of my abdomen under local anesthesia?

For the average person the risk of fat embolism and DVT are low in an office based local anaesthetic liposuction procedure.  However, this is surgery and it is your life.  Make sure that you are seeing a reputable plastic surgeon and make sure that they have gone over your specific risks and options for minimizing problems.Dr. Rodger ShorttOakville Plastic Surgeon Assistant Clinical Professor &Director of Cosmetic Surgery Training Program,McMaster University

The risk of pulmonary embolism during a local liposuction surgery is basically zero.  If you are a proper candidate for the surgery and the physician is an expert in his field there should be no concern over this.  Best, Dr. Emer.

It is extremely unlikely that you could develop a pulmonary embolism  after a procedure under local, but I suppose it could potentially happen.

The risk of blood clots with procedures done under local anesthesia is much less than when general anesthesia is needed. 

 You would have an extremely low risk. Blood clots in your legs leading to a clot going to your lungs are more commonly associated with long cases, people who smoke, people on birth control pills, overweight people, and general  anesthesia.If you don't smoke, are not on birth control pills, and you just need a little liposuction under local I think that your risk factors would be very low.I would discuss this with your surgeon but I think you would be pretty safe!Good luck! 

Unless you had a really elevated risk of clotting to begin with, like a history of prior clots or embolisms, this is the safest way to have liposuction as the risks are very small.  However there can be other risks such as an overdose of local anesthesia so be certain that your surgeon is experienced in this procedure and the anesthetic required.  The best way to do that is to make sure s/he is board certified in plastic surgery and that the office surgery is also certified.

Dear foreveryoung908,

Thank you for your clinical post. Fat embolism or pulmonary embolism is
extremely uncommon following in-office or in-hospital based liposuction
techniques. With modern approaches to
liposuction all Ontario liposuction surgeons need to be board certified plastic
surgeons. This comes with an intimate
understanding of the risks of thromboembolism.
Fat embolism syndrome is extremely uncommon, more common after long bone
fractures than liposuction instance after multiple zone liposuction is 1 in 25
to 1 in 50,000. However, no one has a
large enough series of outpatient small volume liposuctions to assess or
quantify the actual risk for fat embolism syndrome. Suffice it to say, it’s
measured probably one in several million.


As for pulmonary emboli and deep venous thrombosis as long as
long as you don’t have a hypercoagulable state meaning you’re not prone to
DVTs, you’re not on a procoagulant medication, you do not suffer from
thrombophlebitis or inflammation of the deep veins then the risk of
thromboembolism and DVT following office space small volume liposuction is
again exceedingly rare. Most plastic
surgeons such as myself will ensure that same day office space liposuction
removes no more than 1-2 litres of fat, that you’re well hydrated and
anti-coagulated.

You have thromboembolic stockings as well as sequential
compression garments that never allow venous stasis to occur. Immediate activity and walking that day and
the day following that subsequently is recommended and even low dose
anti-coagulation with Lovenox can be recommended. These are the kind of complications that
generally do not prevent people from undergoing small volume liposuction. Neither should abdominal perforation or any
of the other more uncommon and horrific complications of liposuction that are
although reported extremely uncommon. As
I have stated in some of your other RealSelf posts the real concern is good
soft tissue contour, avoiding indentations and irregularities which are by far
the most common complication following lipo contouring surgery. Seek the consultation advise of an
experienced plastic surgeon and your tummy tuck surgeon is probably very
experienced at liposuction. Second stage
liposuction after tummy tuck is very common and I’m sure you’ll get an
excellent result.

For more information, please review the link below.

R. Stephen Mulholland, M.D.

Certified Plastic Surgeon

Yorkville, Toronto