Will SmartLipo Hurt & What are the Side Effects?


Cosmetic Surgery Enquiry

You shouldn't feel pain except slight discomfort during the injections of anaesthetic. Only a mild sedative is recommended at this point so that you are aware enough to let the surgeon know whether or not you can still pain in anaesthetised areas. The administration and effect of the anaesthetic can take up to 30 mins. This also ensures adequate numbing occurs and allows time for all areas of fat and skin to be anaesthetised. The way the anaesthetic is delivered into the tissues is called the Tumescent technique. This technique is used to ensure the procedure is pain free by delivering large amounts of anaesthetic. This is usually Lidocaine (a derivative of cocaine) and it is placed under the skin, into the fat by injections. This type of anaesthesia lasts a long time and Epinephrine is also used to shrink small blood vessels (capillaries) and prevent excessive bleeding during the procedure. The results of the procedure are also reported to be improved by using this technique because surgeons can more accurately control the movement of the cannulae and avoid coming into close contact with the skin and causing burns. The use of a laser itself during SmartLipo reduces pain by sealing nerve endings. In fact more pain and side effects are associated with post procedures rather than during procedures. Such side effects are minimal and short-lived during clinical trials, reported to last only 1 week. The anaesthetic will take 18-36 hours to wear off, if you experience any further pain, swelling, bruising, tingling and redness of the skin an over the counter (non- prescription) pain killer can be used to treat pain. However, the small insertions needed for small cannulae during SmartLipo allow small amount of blood to seep out and this reduces bruising and swelling so that healing is relatively quick compared to other procedures.

How long do I need to stay after SmartLipo?

You may not need to stay long after your procedure and will certainly go home on the same day.

What can go wrong when having SmartLipo performed?

No serious complications following SmartLipo have been reported. There may be minor side effects associated with SmartLipo that are mild and short lived. However if your doctor is not fully registered, competent, experienced or trained you may have an unsuccessful procedure with unwanted results or side effects such as persistent bruising or changes in the skin colour.

What are the side effects I might experience after SmartLipo?

Skin burns may result from over treatment of a small area and as a result of the laser coming too closely into contact with the skin. There is also a risk of infection of the skin and underlying tissues. If drainage fluid appears thick, coloured and smells foul at the incision sites, they may be infected and you should contact your doctor immediately. Antibiotics will be given afterwards to prevent infection of the skin and you may even be asked to begin taking the medication the day before the procedure. Remember to inform your doctor of any allergies to medication such as penicillin's. You may have hard areas/lumps under the skin where the healing has produced excessive scar tissue. This can sometimes be corrected by a revision.

No other side effects have been reported and no deaths have been reported yet. Where deaths have been reported from traditional liposuction this has resulted from complications regarding the use of the general anaesthetic, removing too much fat in a single treatment and having multiple plastic surgery procedures at once.

The laser used in the SmartLipo procedure may be dangerous to the eyes. The structure of the eye allows the laser beam to quickly cause permanent damage to areas in the back of the eye if the laser comes into contact with the eye. To prevent this, goggles can be worn to ensure no light from the laser contacts the eyes.

If you are female you may find that your regular period (menstruation) is disrupted. Your period may be irregular after the procedure although this is short lived and occurs after many minor and major surgeries. You may have a slight temperature and flushing of the face and surrounding areas. After several days you may experience itching as the skin heals normally. You can use creams or tablets to reduce the itchy and prevent scratching from causing skin damage or infection to your skin at the healing sites.

Further Articles