Liposuction is often touted as a solution for the obese, and is frequently cited as one of the most popular cosmetic treatments an individual can have. It’s seen as an innocent procedure that can be conducted on an outpatient basis, and one that can be used as a fashion accessory to improve muscle definition and remove particularly stubborn fatty deposits.

What people don’t realise is that liposuction, like any surgical procedure carries its own breed of risks and associated problems. In fact, liposuction is quite a serious trauma to subject your body to, and it isn’t as simple as just sucking fat from under your skin. As the growing number of scarred, dissatisfied patients will testify, liposuction can and does go horribly wrong from time to time, and it is important to be fully aware of the risks before taking the plunge.

Let’s kick this off by saying that roughly one in 10,000 liposuction patients die as a result of the operation. Not such an innocent procedure after all, it would seem. Amongst some of the more common side effects and complications of liposuction are bleeding from the wound, which can pour from the hole, infection, damage to certain nervous tissues, permanent loss of sensation, puncturing the bowel or even heart failure.

The fact of the matter is, liposuction is a medical procedure that requires, more than many others, a highly skilled operative to conduct proceedings. The surgeon you opt for, if he’s worth his salts, will make sure you understand that this isn’t a fashion-only procedure, but is in fact a highly dangerous process.

The most obvious alternative to liposuction is the oldest and best in the book – it’s called dieting. Changing what you eat and improving your levels of exercise is the safest, most effective way to lose weight and to shift body fat, even from stubborn areas. A healthy balanced diet combined with a course of regular intensive exercise will not only help shift that excess weight and improve your appearance, but it will also leave you looking and feeling great in yourself without the need for expensive and dangerous surgery. With the help of a little common sense, the majority of liposuction cases could be avoided in favour of more stable weight loss, which can save you money and the major risks associated with any medical procedure.

Choosing a plastic surgeon is probably one of the most significant decisions you will ever make. Aside from the initial decision to have this kind of surgery in the first place, selecting the right surgeon is of critical importance in ensuring you don’t end up with unnecessary complications which can at worst ruin your life. Plastic surgery is a difficult thing to go through with for both the patient and the doctor, and one false move could leave you regretting it for the rest of your life.

That’s why, after deliberating long and hard as to why you want to go through with the surgery, you should also think carefully about which surgeon you want to go with. That means paying a visit to a number of surgeries, both in and around your local area, to find a surgeon that has both the right credentials on paper and provides you with that all-important personal reassurance.

Obviously the first thing you want to make sure is that any surgeon you’re considering is suitably qualified. Apart from his actual University diploma, where does he practice? Does he have a successful surgery? You can usually tell a lot about a surgeon from the presentation – if he comes across as sharply dressed and professional and runs a surgery that seems busy, clean and is well designed, chances are you’re probably along the right lines.

How many successful ops has this surgeon carried out? Ask the surgeon about his previous experience of your specific procedure and weigh up the response you get. Has he ever had a patient that has been dissatisfied, or scarred by the procedure? What kind of things could go wrong, and what factors contribute to the risks? Furthermore, how can you avoid ending up with side effects, and how easily can they be treated? An experienced surgeon will be able to answer all your questions with confidence and will provide you with satisfactory responses in an unpatronising and reassuring way.

Probably one of the most valuable tools in your armoury is your intuition – in other words, the overall general impression you get of that particular surgeon. Good or bad, your intuition should always be the overriding factor in situations like this – a good surgeon should make you feel comfortable and at ease, and it something doesn’t quite sit right with you, it’s probably best to try someone else.