Many people go under the knife every year for many different cosmetic surgeries like liposuction, breast enlargement, facelifts and many types of reductions. While plastic surgery has its positive outcomes and can leave you with renewed confidence, don’t forget it can come with post-surgery complications. You need to be aware of both the benefits and also the risks that are involved.
Here are the most common post-surgery complications:
Hematoma
A pocket of blood that looks much like a bad bruise is called a hematoma. 1-6% of breast procedures have this complication as one of the most common. It is common in most surgeries and depending on how bad they are, and they may need to be drained.
Nerve Damage
Nerve damage can be present for most surgical procedures. You can suffer tingling and numbness after cosmetic surgery both which can imply there has been nerve damage. This often goes unnoticed until the area has healed as numbing and tingling can be a sign of trauma to the area such as being operated on as well as being a sign of healing.
Infection
Once you have cosmetic surgery, you will need to have some post care to ensure you don’t get an infection and everything heals the way it should. Infections such as cellulitis can occur in breast surgeries. If the infection is severe, it may require hospitalisation with IV antibiotics.
Deep Vein Thrombosis
This is a condition where the blood clots within the deep veins that are found within a leg. This can then lead to pulmonary embolism, which is when the clots break off and find their way to the lungs; this complication can be fatal.
Scarring
In all surgeries, you will be left with scarring. It can depend on who you have that does the operation as some surgeons are well-experienced and trained to leave little scarring. A complication called hypertrophic scarring is when the scar is red and raised, which can occur within 2-5 per cent of surgeries.
Dissatisfaction
Most people are satisfied with their surgery. However, disappointment can happen in some cases. In patients who have enlargements, they may have asymmetry complications or the patients may just not like the result. Sometimes surgeries can turn out to be different than what was imagined.
Seroma
This is a condition where the serum in your blood can pool under the skin, which results in swelling and pain. Most often they will appear as a large blister. This type of complication is common in tummy tucks. It can be easily fixed by draining out the blood before an infection develops.
Blood Loss
While some blood loss is normal during surgery, most often it can be noticed and controlled by the doctors. Be aware that blood loss can happen internally days after surgery, so be sure to check in with your doctor if you have dark spots under the skin, inflammation, fatigue or feeling unwell.
You can limit the risk of complications for post-cosmetic surgery by making sure you choose a surgeon that has good reviews and the proper qualifications. Educate yourself about what you are about to undertake and talk about the risks involved with the doctor to lower your chance of complications.
