What are the risks of plastic surgery complications?

It is impossible to predict who will have undesired complications from plastic surgery. There is some degree of risk for each patient when undergoing any surgical procedure.

A 1997 survey by Morello et al. found that very serious complications as a result of plastic surgery occurred rarely (less than one half of one percent, or less than one in every 200 patients). Further, the risk of having a serious complication of plastic surgery performed at an accredited surgical office was the same as having a procedure performed at a hospital.

Additional clinical study is needed in this area before any conclusions can be made.

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The most common risks of plastic surgery procedures are similar to all other surgeries. The most common complication is bleeding or a hematoma followed by infection. Thankfully, bleeding occurs in approximately 1% of all plastic surgery procedures with infection less than 0.5%. Other risks include edema, swelling, cellulitis, pain, deep venous thrombus, pulmonary embolus, skin atrophy, fat necrosis, scarring, anesthesia complications, and death. It is vital during the pre-operative visit to discuss all of these risks with the surgeon and ways to prevent them. Avoiding ASA products prior to the procedures to prevent bleeding and heavy lifting or straining after the surgery to prevent tearing and a hematoma. Antibiotics, both intravenous before induction of anesthesia and postoperative oral antibiotics will help to reduce infections.

Cosmetic surgery, like any surgery, involves risks – scarring, possible infection and, in this case, the chance that the procedure doesn't meet the patient’s expectations. Watch this video with cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Robert Grant to learn why seeing an internist before surgery is a good risk-minimizing strategy.

Each cosmetic surgical procedure has its own peculiar associated risks. For example, there is risk of spearing an organ with liposuction, of puncturing the lung during a breast augmentation, of blindness with eyelid lifts, and of a skull fracture with rhinoplasty. These are rare, but possible, problems.