Dr Ek will discuss your risks from plastic surgery and possible complications in detail during your consultation as part of your informed consent process. He will also explain how he will do everything possible to manage and reduce your risks, however surgical complications can still occur.
Things You Can Do to Minimise Your Risks and Potential Complications of Surgery
1. Do NOT Smoke at all during the surgical journey – especially critical in the periods before and after surgery
2. Take time off – it is crucial to make sure you allow yourself time to recover from surgery. Please make sure you have the support required to make your journey as easy as possible. And make sure you follow Mr Ek’s instructions precisely.
3. When providing your medical history give specific details about ANY difficulties you have had with surgery, anaesthesia, hospital visits or healing.
4. Being in great physical health prior to surgery can help have a good recovery and get a better final result
5. Successful surgical outcomes are the result of a number of considerations – realistic surgical goals, realistic patient expectations, and a good knowledge and understanding of possible risks of plastic surgery.
There are other specific risks for Breast Surgery, Body Surgery and Skin and Eyelid Surgery which are detailed below.
Risks of Surgery
GENERAL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SURGERY
• Postoperative infection
• Bleeding or hematoma
• Poor Scarring including keloid scars
• Blood clots in legs or lungs
• Revision surgery needed to correct or improve outcome
SPECIFIC RISKS OF SURGERY
General Anaesthesia
Anaesthetics are generally safe, but a range of complications can occur, from minor issues such as bruising at an injection site, or a sore throat from an anaesthetic tube, to major problems such as an allergic reaction to an anaesthetic which may mean an extended stay in the hospital, and can be life-threatening. Your specific concerns are best discussed with your anaesthetist. Please mention if you have had ANY past difficulty with surgery or anesthesia or any heart problems.
Pain
Minor post-operative pain may occur and pain medication will be provided. If severe pain occurs you should contact our rooms or the hospital ASAP.
Numbness / Nerve Damage
As sensory nerves may be damaged during a procedure, you may feel some initial numbness
in the surgical area – your normal sensory feelings should return after a short period but some more permanent nerve damage is a risk.
Internal Bleeding – Hematoma
All recognised bleeding points are controlled during surgery, but occasionally a blood vessel will start bleeding after wound closure. If this is severe, it may require a return to the operating theatre for correction.
Fluid Build-Up – Seroma
Sometimes following surgery, a collection of fluid may pool near the surgical site. If this occurs, a visit to the operating theatre or procedure room may be required to remove the seroma.
Allergic Reaction
You may have an unexpected allergic reaction – please let Dr Ek know if you have any allergies to the following; surgical tape, suture materials, glues, blood products, topical preparations or injected agents.
Infection
Everybody is exposed to bacteria (which can cause infection) every day. During surgery,
steps are taken to minimise the development of infection including antibiotics, a sterile environment, and the use of antiseptic solutions. Despite these measures, very occasionally an infection may develop.
Wound Breakdown / Delayed Wound Healing Risks of Surgery
The presence or combination of thin or soft tissues, poor blood supply and infection may lead to wound breakdown. Every effort is made to avoid these situations. Smoking or Vaping will significantly delay your healing and increase the risk of wound breakdown. Please do NOT Smoke, use nicotine patches or Vape.
Scarring – Keloid Scars
Scars are an inevitable part of surgery as all wounds heal with scars. The nature and
appearance of the scar vary from patient to patient and surgery to surgery. Most scars fade and become faint (but are always visible if you look hard enough), but some remain pink, thickened and lumpy – keloid scars. Scar treatments and scar revisions are available for unsightly and keloid scars.
Smoking or Vaping will significantly increase your risk of poor quality scars. Please do NOT Smoke, use nicotine patches or Vape.
Serious Complications of Surgery
Deep Vein Thrombosis – DVT
This is a blood clot in the deep veins of the body (usually the calf) and can occur with
prolonged bed rest or localised compression that creates stasis (slow or stagnant blood flow). The possibility of DVT increases during and after surgery because, at this time, the blood becomes more ‘sticky’.
DVT’s are more common in high BMI patients and some families. This is related to their
altered blood clotting mechanism. During and after surgery, precautions are taken to reduce the risk of this occurring.
Should a DVT occur, there is a risk that a pulmonary embolus may result. This serious
development is produced when part or all of a thrombus (blood clot) breaks free and travels via the venous system to the lungs.
Heart Attack
This is very rare risk in a fit healthy patient, but the risk increases with age and the status of the patient’s cardiac health. If there is concern about an increased risk of a heart attack, tests and a referral to a cardiac specialist will be arranged.
Breast Surgery Risks
What are the Risks and Potential Complications of Breast
Surgery?
As with any surgery, it is important that you are fully informed of the potential risks and complications. While all care is taken to minimize these complications, they may and do occur despite the best medical care.
It is important that you carefully read and understand the potential risks and they will be discussed in further detail when you have your consultation with Dr Ek. Specific Risks & Complications for Breast Surgery can include:
• Postoperative infection
• Bleeding or haematoma
• Poor Scarring including keloid scars
• Loss of sensation to the nipple
• Revision surgery to correct or improve the outcome
• Inability to Breastfeed
• Interference with breast imaging
• Capsular Contraction
• Breast implant malposition
• Breast implant rotation
• Visible rippling within the cleavage
• Breast implant palpability
• Animation deformities
• Breast implant rupture or leakage
• Breast asymmetry
• Symptoms of BII – Breast Implant Illness
• Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA – ALCL)
• Allergic reaction to anaesthesia such as skin rashes and difficulty breathing
• Changes in skin sensation
• Delayed wound healing
• Hematoma or Hemorrhage
• Increasing pain at the surgical site
• Numbness in one or both breasts
• Possibility of revision surgery
• Pus draining from your wound
• Rippling of the implant
• Seroma
• Severe swelling
• Skin discolouration
• Skin loss
• Sutures that protrude through the skin
• Unwanted scarring
• Wound dehiscence
• Wrong or faulty position of the implant
What are the Risks associated with Breast Reduction Surgery?
As with any surgery, it is important that you are fully informed of the potential risks associated with breast reduction surgery. While all care is taken to minimize these complications, they may and do occur despite the best medical care.
It is important that you carefully read and understand the potential risks and they will be discussed in further detail when you have your consultation with Dr Ek.
Specific Risks associated with Breast Reduction:
• Partial or total loss of the nipple and/or areola
• Loss of sensation to the nipple
• Breast asymmetry
• Inability to breastfeeding
• Lumpiness or fat necrosis
What are the Risks associated with Breast Augmentation
Surgery?
As with any surgery, it is important that you are fully informed of the potential risks and complications. While all care is taken to minimize these complications, they may and do occur despite the best medical care.
It is important that you carefully read and understand the potential risks and they will be discussed in further detail when you have your consultation. Specific Risks Complications for Breast Surgery can include:
For Hybrid Breast Augmentation – Risks can include:
• Postoperative infection
• Bleeding or haematoma
• Graft failure / Fat Necrosis: Death of fat cells may occur.
• Poor Scarring including keloid scars
• Loss of sensation to the nipple and breast skin
• Revision surgery to correct or improve the outcome
• Inability to Breastfeed
• Interference with breast imaging
• Capsular Contraction
• Breast implant malposition
• Breast implant rotation
• Animation deformities
• Breast implant rupture
• Breast asymmetry
• Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL)
What are the Risks and complications of Breast Implant Replacement?
Apart from general risks like adverse effects to the anesthetic, scarring, infection and bruising, specific risks and complications related to breast implant replacement include:
• Wrinkling of skin over the implant
• Faulty position of the implant
• Breast Implant Illness (BII)
• Leaking or rupturing of the implant
• Capsular contracture
• Breast pain
• Additional surgeries to remove the ruptured or rotated implant
• Breast implant associated-anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL)
What are the Risks Associated with Breast Lift Surgery?
As with any surgery, it is important that you are fully informed of the potential risks and complications. While all care is taken to minimize these complications, they may and do occur despite the best medical care.
General Risks Associated with Breast Lift Surgery:
• Wound breakdown and delayed healing
• Postoperative infection
• Bleeding or haematoma
• Poor Scarring including keloid scars
• Blood clots in legs or lungs
• Revision surgery to correct or improve outcome
Specific Risks Associated with Breast Lift Surgery:
• Partial or total loss of the nipple and/or areola
• Loss of sensation to the nipple
• Breast asymmetry
• Inability to breastfeeding
• Lumpiness or fat necrosis
Body Surgery Risks
What are the Risks and Possible Complications of Body Surgery?
Whether it’s a body fat surgery or torso surgery, there are risks associated with the procedure such as:
• Allergic reaction to anaesthesia such as skin rashes and difficulty breathing
• Body weakness
• Capsular contracture
• Changes in skin sensation
• Delayed wound healing
• Hematoma
• Haemorrhage
• Increasing pain at the surgical site
• Numbness in one or both sides of your body
• Pus draining from your wound
• Rippling of the implant
• Severe swelling
• Skin discolouration
• Skin loss
• Sutures that protrude through the skin
• Unwanted scarring
• Wound dehiscence
What are the Risks associated with Abdominoplasty or Tummy Tuck Surgery?
As well as general surgery risks – Here are the specific risks for Tummy Tuck / Abdominoplasty.
It is important that you carefully read and understand the potential risks and they will be discussed in further detail when you have your consultation. Specific Risks & Complications for Tummy Surgery can include:
• Fluid accumulation or seroma formation
• Partial or total loss of the umbilicus
• Loss of sensation to the abdomen
• Wound breakdown and delayed healing
• Scar asymmetry
• Lumpiness or fat necrosis
What are the Risks associated with Liposuction Surgery?
As well as general surgery risks – Here are the specific risks for Liposuction. It is important that you carefully read and understand the potential risks and they will be discussed in further detail when you have your consultation. Specific Risks & Complications for Liposuction Surgery can include:
• Postoperative infection
• Bleeding or haematoma
• Poor Scarring including keloid scars
• Blood clots in legs or lungs
• Revision surgery to correct or improve the outcome
• Numbness to the overlying skin
• Asymmetry with over or under correction
• Skin irregularities, ripples or discolouration
• Fat embolism which can be life-threatening
• Lumpiness or fat necrosis
• Temporary or permanent pain
• Damage to deeper structures/organs
What are the Risks associated with Gynaecomastia Surgery?
All plastic surgery carries some risk and should only be performed by a specialist plastic surgeon, preferably with lengthy experience, to minimise complications. In general, for male breast reduction, risks may include:
• Visible scars
• Infection
• Bleeding
Specific Risks Associated with Gynaecomastia
• Irregular chest contour
• Asymmetry
• Persistent tissue
• Nipple sensation changes
• Recurrent gynaecomastia
What are the Risks and Potential Complications of Eyelid Lift Surgery – Blepharoplasty?
Some risks of Eyelid Lift Surgery can include:
• Swelling
• Poor Scarring
• Infection
• Bruising / haematoma
• Revision surgery to correct or improve outcome
• Pigmentation changes
• Dry Eyes
• Ectropion or Entropion
• Inability to close eyes
• Eyelash loss
• Ptosis
• Asymmetry
• Altered vision / blindness
Note:
A few medical conditions make blepharoplasty riskier. They include thyroid problems such as hypothyroidism and Grave’s Disease, dry eye or lack of sufficient tears, high blood pressure or other circulatory disorders. A past history of a detached retina or glaucoma are also reasons for caution – if you have any of the above, please bring it to the attention of Dr Ek prior to blepharoplasty surgery so that if necessary, a further ophthalmology opinion can be obtained.
