Plastic Surgeon - Looking for plastic surgery in Ireland?

	Face
	Breast / Chest
	Body
	Non-Surgical

General Risks

All surgeries, including cosmetic surgery procedures, carry risk.

There are general risks of surgery and risks specific to a procedure or an individual. Whilst serious complications are rare, they do occur from time to time, even with the most careful plastic surgeons, operating under the strictest of conditions. It is important that you clearly understand the risks and take them into account when you are making your decision for surgery.

This section discusses risks that can apply to any cosmetic surgery procedure. Risks that are specific to a particular procedure are discussed in the pages relating to that procedure.

Note: Whilst non-surgical treatments do not involve surgery, they are not completely risk free. You should check the qualifications of your practitioner. Furthermore you should inform yourself of the claims being made in terms of results. There are many treatments available on the market and wide variations in terms of effectiveness. Risks associated with treatments offered by this practice are set out in the individual pages relating to the treatments.

Surgical risks

Risks related to surgery range from adverse scarring to death. Certain individuals are at a higher risk of developing complications in comparison with others. Your medical history and general health are important factors. Smoking increases risks and interferes with healing. Risks will be assessed and discussed as part of your consultation – each person and procedure has a different risk profile.

You can limit your risk of complications by being completely honest with the surgeon and medical staff at all times, abiding by medication guidelines and by strictly adhering to pre-and post-operative instructions.

Infection at the incision site, which may worsen scarring and require additional surgery
Bleeding - mild bleeding, which may require another surgical procedure; or bleeding significant enough to require a blood transfusion
Blood clots or DVT (deep vein thrombosis), which can potentially be fatal
Fluid build up under the skin, which may need to be drained
Obvious scarring or skin death (due to circulation problems) – skin may need to be surgically removed
Allergic reaction to dressings, causing skin irritation and possibly healing problems
A drop in body temperature (hypothermia), which can occur during long operative procedures
Anaesthesia-related problems - these vary depending on the type of anaesthesia. Serious problems are extremely rare, these include respiratory failure, serious allergic reaction, failure, stroke, heart attack and even death. (The skill of your anaesthetist is very important)
Bruising, swelling and pain/discomfort are normal following any surgery. Recovery times vary depending on the operation and the individual.

The risk of dissatisfaction

There is always the risk that the results may not be what you expect. The closer you work with your surgeon to establish specific and achievable goals, the more likely you are to be happy with the results. Still dissatisfaction with the results remains a possibility. This can depend on a number of factors including your expectations, the extent and type of surgery, how skilled your surgeon is and your own body’s ability to heal. In a minority of cases patients may need follow-up surgeries to achieve their goals.

Some things can be changed through cosmetic surgery, others cannot
Anticipate improvement not perfection
Everyone is asymmetrical
Each patient has a different result
Surgical scars are permanent