In Singapore, liposuction is a special service that is regulated by the Ministry of Health. This was done to improve the safety of the procedure.
This means that patients cannot be rushed into the surgery (they have to wait 1 week between consultation and surgery), and only doctors with the required training are accredited to do it. The procedure must be carried out in an approved facility with adequate emergency facilities.
The safety has also been improved by anaesthetic guidelines that mean only qualified anaesthetic doctors can give deep sedation. These doctors are the best in dealing with life threatening situations.
Overall, it is a very safe procedure.
The risks for liposuction are small but you can get infections, bleeding, contour irregularities, asymmetry or perforation of abdominal organs.
The most dangerous complication is perforation of your organs, the risk is higher if you’ve had liposuction in that area before or if you have an abdominal hernia. Technique plays a huge part in whether this happens or not, so it’s very important that the procedure is done by a qualified plastic surgeon.
It is not easy to differentiate plastic surgeons from ‘cosmetic surgeons’ overseas. However in Singapore, doctors are not allowed to call themselves by any title they choose.
