Perforation of Abdominal Viscera Following Liposuction: A Systemic Literature Review

Background Liposuction is among the most popular esthetic procedures worldwide. With growing demand and popularity, reports of serious complications accumulate. Despite being a rare complication of the procedure, visceral perforation is associated with morbidity and severe debilitation. Methods The authors conducted a literature search for reported cases of perforation of abdominal viscera following liposuction procedures in the electronic databases of PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane Library databases. Results The authors found 22 publications; 19 cases case reports and three studies, reporting a total of 49 cases of visceral perforation following abdominal liposuction procedures. Average age of patients was 50 years (range 24-72). Twenty-seven patients (73%) were female, and 10 were male (27%). Forty (81%) patients underwent isolated liposuction, and nine (19%) had multiple procedures carried out in a single surgery. Twenty patients (42%) had undergone previous abdominal surgery, 13 (27%) suffered abdominal wall weakness or deformities, and 7 (14%) suffered from obesity. 25 (52%) ileal perforations occurred, 6 jejunal (12.5%), 5 colic (10%) and 2 (4%) each of splenic and hepatic. Seven patients (14%) died during their hospitalization, 20 (41%) were discharged with no sequelae complications, and 22 (45%) developed complications after discharge. Conclusions Liposuction is a popular esthetic procedure that underwent numerous changes over the past century since its introduction. Despite its widely accepted reputation of a safe procedure with minimal complications, a growing number of reports on visceral perforation following liposuction have emerged. Scrupulous pre-operative evaluation and high index of suspicion are crucial for avoiding complications and unfavorable outcomes.

Automated summary

Visceral perforation following abdominal liposuction, although rare, is associated with high morbidity and mortality. The importance of meticulous pre-operative evaluation and a high index of suspicion cannot be overstated in preventing complications and unfavorable outcomes.