Risks

All surgeries, including cosmetic procedures, carry risk. If your body mass index is 30 or higher (obesity) or you have diabetes, you might be at higher risk of developing complications such as blood clots in the legs or lungs. Smoking also increases risks and interferes with healing.

You'll meet with your surgeon to discuss these risks and others related to your health history.

Possible complications for any surgical procedure include:

• Complications related to anesthesia, including pneumonia, blood clots and, rarely, death
• Infection at the incision site, which may worsen scarring and require additional surgery
• Fluid buildup under the skin
• Mild bleeding, which may require another surgical procedure, or bleeding significant enough to require a transfusion
• Abnormal scarring due to skin breakdown
• Separation of the surgical wound, which sometimes requires additional procedures
• Numbness and tingling from nerve damage, which may be permanent