With the growing influence of social media, digital filters, and AI-generated beauty standards, more and more people are looking for affordable options for cosmetic procedures like liposuction. The lure of lower prices abroad, combined with package deals and attractive destinations, can make surgery abroad seem like a convenient alternative.
However, plastic surgeons in the UK must comply with strict regulations and safety protocols designed to minimize the risks of liposuction gone wrong. In this blog post, we explore whether the reduced costs of having surgery abroad are worth the potential risks and what steps you can take if something goes wrong.
What is the expected recovery after liposuction?
Ideally, the recovery process after liposuction should follow a clear and manageable path. If you’re wondering if the symptoms you’re experiencing are part of the normal healing process, here’s what you can typically expect:
- Swelling– This usually peaks between the first and second week after surgery, then gradually decreases over the next few months, and often resolves completely by six months. Wearing a compression garment is often recommended, usually for about four weeks, to help reduce swelling and promote the healing process.
- Bruising, redness and tenderness.– These are common in treated areas and should ease over time as your body heals.
- Stitching: Most procedures involve small closed incisions with dissolvable stitches, which do not need to be removed.
- fluid leak: It is normal to experience some drainage from the incision sites during the initial stage of recovery.
- cicatrization– Small scars are expected, but they are usually located in inconspicuous areas and tend to fade over time.
Understanding what to expect during recovery can help you identify what is normal and when to seek further medical advice if concerns arise.
What are the signs of liposuction complications?
If the healing process does not progress as it should, whether due to avoidable surgical errors, poor technique or inadequate aftercare, a series of complications may begin to appear:
- Asymmetry or uneven contours: Once postoperative swelling has reduced, differences in shape between treated areas may become evident. This may indicate inconsistent fat removal.
- Indentations or ridges: An uneven or irregular surface under the skin, often related to excessive fat removal during the procedure.
- Continuous skin discoloration or numbness: this may suggest nerve irritation or possible damage. While it may improve over time, in some cases it may be permanent.
- Infection or slow wound healing: It can arise if post-surgical care is not followed properly or if early signs of infection are missed during recovery.
- Visible deformities: including irregular shapes or contours, which may be caused by poor surgical technique.
If you experience any of these complications, it is important to seek advice from your surgeon or obtain medical attention without delay. Even if you have already been assessed by a doctor abroad, you should visit a hospital or GP in the UK as soon as you return.
Can you claim compensation if you have had complications abroad?
If your cosmetic surgery was performed abroad, claiming compensation may be more complex. This is because different countries operate under different medical regulations, standards of care, and legal systems. In many cases, it may not be possible to make a claim through the UK legal system for treatment received abroad.
However, if your surgery was performed in the UK and you experienced complications due to avoidable errors, you may be entitled to claim compensation. This could include situations where your surgeon:
- Not having adequately informed you about the risks, alternatives or your suitability for the procedure during the consultation process.
- He did not perform the surgery to the standard agreed upon in advance.
- Provided inadequate aftercare or failed to act on warning signs of complications, such as infection, during follow-up appointments.
If any of these issues apply, you may have grounds to make a cosmetic surgery compensation claim.
While surgery abroad may seem attractive due to lower costs and all-inclusive deals in sunny locations, it’s important to ask yourself: is it really worth the potential risk?
