Aspiration: Aspiration occurs if you vomit (aspirate) during surgery and the vomit is forced into the lungs. Aspiration can cause mild discomfort, and can also lead to infections, chronic cough, an obstruction in the lungs or pneumonia.

Blood Loss: Bleeding is normal with any procedure. However, if there is excessive bleeding, it can create major complications. If this occurs during surgery, your surgeon and anaesthesiologist will be aware of pooling blood or by a blood pressure drop. If bleeding occurs after surgery, it can accumulate under the skin and require an additional surgery.

Discuss with your physician what you can expect as far as bleeding and bruising.

Blood Clots (DVT): A blood clot in the veins can be fatal. Longer operating time and general anaesthesia increase the risk of a DVT. They can occur as a result of a medical condition or from immobilisation (which allows the blood to pool) such as pregnancy, international airplane flights, and recovery from surgery. They are difficult to predict. To help prevent them, during recovery do not stay in one position for too long and flex your feet often. Patients who have liposuction in their legs are at higher risk. Compression garments worn reduce the risk of DVT.

Drop in Blood Pressure: Some decrease in blood pressure is normal during surgery. However, a sudden drop due to blood loss could lead to irregular heart beat and possibly a heart attack.

Infection: The risk of infection is less than 1% and antibiotics reduce this risk dramatically. However, if infection does occur, it is very serious.

People who smoke, take steroids or have certain vascular conditions are at greater risk. The longer your surgery lasts and the more blood you lose, the more likely you are to have an infection.

Loose Sutures : If the sutures come loose this can lead to internal bleeding or a hernia. Such problems would require additional surgery.

General Risks for Cosmetic Surgery:

Skin Death or Necrosis: usually follows an infection or haematoma and is much more likely among smokers. The skin is excised (surgically removed) and this may affect the cosmetic outcome.

Asymmetry: moderate or severe asymmetries may require a second surgery. Mild asymmetry is normal.

Slow Healing: due to age, skin type, failure to follow doctor's advice or factors beyond anyone's control.

Numbness/Tingling: often temporary, sometimes permanent loss of sensation. This results from injury to sensory or motor nerves.

Irregularities, dimples, puckers, and divots: can be due to surgeon error, healing irregularities or body make-up.

Seroma: fluid can collect under the skin and can occur after breast augmentation, liposuction or a tummy tuck.