The above terms, liposculpture and liposuction, essentially mean the same thing. We are of course talking about a medical procedure whereby fat is suctioned from the body. The fat is removed from the area between the skin and muscular area of the body. This is ordinarily a cosmetic procedure to improve a person’s appearance, usually around the stomach area. Some medical professionals use the two terms to mean slightly different things. For example liposuction is used to remove excess fat and liposculpture is used to remove a lesser amount of fat and is more concentrated in reshaping the fat to improve appearance. Others say the term “liposculpture” is used as a marketing term and that both procedures refer to the same thing.
Before undertaking any form of surgery, your surgeon should explain in full any potential risks or side effects that may occur. When opting for surgery you should always be making an informed decision. No surgical procedure is risk free and sometimes the potential risks could become a reality. So when it comes to making a claim, it really comes down to whether an actual mistake has been made either practically, or arising from advice given to you about potential risks of the procedure.
If a surgeon did not explain the risks to you and you later develop one of those risks, you may have a genuine claim for compensation for the fact that a potential risk was not raised with you. You can of course still claim compensation for procedures that are classed as cosmetic – it doesn’t matter that you are choosing to have the procedure done as oppose to needing it from the NHS. A claim can still be made. However proving your case may not be so easy to do. A lot of clinical negligence cases come down to evidence; that evidence being your medical records. A lot of places probably have standard paperwork and standard leaflets and information documentation. If a potential risk is in the documentation, it’s probably in your medical records; even if the surgeon didn’t actually raise it with you verbally. Make sure you read all documentation, and make sure you have your own copies.
A couple of examples of liposuction procedures gone wrong are:
- Excessive liposuction; which can lead to a cadaveric appearance and can cause serious complications.
- Retracted / indented scars; which can be caused by surgical holes being too small or friction or pounding of the cannula as it moves in and out of the incision site.
If you have surgery and something goes wrong, you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation. Perhaps you did not get the result you expected or perhaps you have been left in pain. Perhaps the aftercare was inadequate. There are a number of situations which could give rise to a compensation claim.
To discuss a potential medical negligence claim contact The Injury Lawyers today.
