Medical Malpractice

Probably everyone has at one time or another wished they could look as good as a movie or music star. However, the standards-and particularly those having to do with weight-are going up all the time, and few people these days have exactly the body type it takes. That's where high volume liposuction comes in.

Initially, high volume liposuction sounds like a dream come true: the surgeon tells you he can "vacuum" all the excess weight from your body in a simple surgical procedure, giving you a look it would take months or even years of dieting to achieve. It's very natural for people to interested. Unfortunately, however, not enough of these people stop to ask themselves the all-important question, "Is it safe?"

Those who do ask will probably receive mixed answers. There are doctors out there who claim to have had a lot of success with high volume liposuction, and insist it is both safe and even advisable for overweight and obese patients. They claim this type of liposuction can help those who, through genetics and other issues, would never be able to lose the weight on their own, and that reducing weight has been medically proven to help prevent numerous health problems.

On the other side of the field are those who say high volume liposuction is a dangerous procedure which is never justified, and that those who offer it are trading their clients' health away in order to line their own pockets.

In addition to these two groups, there is a middle party which says that although high volume liposuction can be safe in theory, it frequently runs into trouble in practice. These people point out that legally speaking, any MD can perform cosmetic surgery. Because of the rapid growth of the liposuction market, there is a temptation for family practice and other doctors to switch over to liposuction without getting any additional training first. These doctors in particular could run into trouble trying to perform high volume liposuction, because it is much more traumatic to the body than regular liposuction and the doctor may not know how to best prevent complications from occurring.

If you are considering high volume liposuction, this means you need to be extra careful in selecting your surgeon. Make sure the doctor you choose is not only board certified to perform liposuction, but also that he or she has plenty of experience with high-volume liposuction in particular You may also want to ask about their safety record in the past, and if they have ever been sued for malpractice or had patients hospitalized with complication after their liposuction. Remember, it may be nice to lose the weight, but it's not worth your health.