All around the world people partake in plastic surgery operations, making it an industry worth around $50 billion.
People seek out the assistance of plastic surgeons for a wide variety of reasons. Whether it is rehabilitative, cosmetic, or reconstructive, plastic surgery helps millions live a better life. Like any procedure there are risks, so what are the dangers of plastic surgery?
Scarring
Plastic surgery may cover up or mitigate scars, but there will be scars left behind. This is even more true for certain areas of the body where the skin is more sensitive and delicate. Not all areas of the body are as vulnerable to scarring, so make sure to discuss the possibilities with your surgeon.
Scarring can defeat the entire purpose of the plastic surgery operation. Plastic surgery exists to help restore quality of life and looks after an injury, attack, or illness. If you end up with more or worse scarring you aren’t going to have had a positive experience.
Infections
Any time your skin splits or opens, your first and best line of defense against infection is breached. One of the most common risks of plastic surgery is an infection of the procedure site. Infections under the skin can lead to hospitalization, severe injury, chronic conditions, and in severe cases even death.
Even if the clinic or hospital you are at appears to be clean and sterile, germs exist everywhere. Anytime you allow outside matter to come into contact with your body under your skin you are putting yourself at risk. Pay close attention to the incision site, if you notice swelling, redness of skin, or heat coming from the wound you may have an infection.
You also need to pay attention to how you’re feeling. Sometimes infections can manifest in cold and flu-like symptoms. If you find yourself feeling suddenly ill after having surgery, you need to see your doctor about a possible infection.
The chance of infection is high enough that plastic surgery preparation to the site includes steps to make sure it is as sterile as possible.
Anesthesia
Any time you are unconscious by the use of an anesthetic it is a major operation. A lot can go wrong with an anesthetic, and you can have negative reactions to it. Often these reactions are minor, but sometimes they can be significant.
While modern medicine has come a long way, there’s always danger when you go under. Every year there are people who go in for routine surgeries, some even necessary procedures, and never come out again. The more often you use an anesthetic, the higher the statistical probability of an accident or reaction.
Bleeding
A botched plastic surgery operation can leave you with a lot of problems, and bleeding is one of the major ones. This bleeding could be external, but more often it is internal. Difficult to detect and treat, internal bleeding can become a large problem before you’re even aware it’s happening.
You can also suffer other forms of bleeding, such as hematomas. A hematoma after surgery can be a very dangerous situation, and it will require medical intervention. These areas could be large bruises or red marks that appear under the skin but are painful and full of blood.
Nerve Damage
It isn’t hard to sever a nerve, and sometimes you won’t know it’s happened until well after the fact. Other times you’ll experience numbness, uncomfortable tingling, pain, and other symptoms. If nerve damage has occurred there isn’t much that can be done, you’ll have to wait and hope it heals.
Most operations undertaken by a plastic surgeon can come into contact with nerves. Reconstructive and cosmetic work both are deep enough procedures in many cases to cause damage. If you have any loss of sensation after an operation, report it to your doctor.
Separation at the Incision
One of the most common complications of plastic surgery is that the incision fails to heal. This can lead to separation, further increasing your chance of other, more deadly complications. If you notice a wound or incision site is not healing, make sure to speak to your physician or nurse as soon as possible.
This type of complication can also appear due to inflammation and swelling. If the wound site swells it can cause the incision to open up. This type of swelling is painful and will require medical intervention in most cases.
Death of tissue at the incision site is also possible which will prevent the closure of the wound. This can require extensive reconstruction or even amputation in worse-case scenarios. Tissue death can occur anywhere blood flow is obstructed or disrupted.
Blood Clots
One of the serious dangers of plastic surgery is the possibility of developing blood clots. If you do develop blood clots you will need to have emergency medical attention as soon as possible, otherwise, you could have a stroke, a blood clot in your lungs, or some other fatal complication. Blood clots can appear after a successful or unsuccessful operation.
Some blood clots have visible signs of existence, and others are a complete surprise. Plastic surgery aftercare often addresses the possibilities of blood clots, especially for those who have had work done on their legs. Make sure that you follow all of the instructions your surgeon and physical therapist give you.
Dangers of Plastic Surgery
These are some of the dangers of plastic surgery that you may face, and of course, there are others. A lot of the dangers you will be subjected to depend on the type of plastic surgery that you are having. No medical operation is 100% safe, there is always a chance of complications.
If you have had plastic surgery or intend to, being aware of the possible dangers can save your life. Hopefully, you won’t have any dangerous side effects.