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Liposuction blamed in five deaths


graphic
In tumescent liposuction surgery, a patient is infused with an anesthetic solution.  

May 12, 1999
Web posted at: 4:40 p.m. EDT (2040 GMT)

From CNN Medical Correspondent Rhonda Rowland

(CNN) -- A new study documenting five deaths from liposuction has raised questions about the safety of the elective surgery to reduce fat.

Liposuction is the most common cosmetic surgery in the United States. The number of people undergoing the medical procedure has increased 216 percent since 1992. As the practice has increased, so have rumors of complications and deaths.

Tammaria Cotton, 43, had snapshots taken right before she underwent liposuction.

"She told me that she wanted me to take pictures of her because this would be the last time that we would see her like that," said her husband, Jimmy Cotton.

Cotton died later that day in the emergency room. Death records indicate she died from an overload of fluid used to deliver anesthesia.

Anesthetic solution may be to blame


TIPS FOR CHOOSING A PLASTIC SURGEON
  • Consider a doctor certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, which means a physician has graduated from an accredited medical school and completed at least five years of additional residency.
  • The doctor should have privileges to perform the procedure at an accredited hospital in your community.
  • Choose a surgeon who is well versed and up-to-date in the procedure. Ask whether the doctor performs the procedure frequently or only occasionally.
  • Source: American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons
  • Another liposuction patient, Judy Fernandez, 47, had a different doctor but the same outcome. Death records show her cause of death to be complications of liposuction and cosmetic surgery.

    "What I saw was really a horrifying scene," said Ruben Fernandez. "My wife was spread open on the operating table still; she never made it out of the room; her extremities were swollen almost twice her size."

    Both women were from California and had a type of liposuction known as "tumescent" in which the patient is infused with an anesthetic solution containing lidocaine.

    Researchers from New York City Poison Control looked at 48,527 New York City death records and concluded four deaths were associated with tumescent liposuction over a period from 1993 to 1998. The fifth was found in an unidentified state.

    "We have no conclusive proof these patients died of lidocaine toxicity, but the evidence is compelling that this is a possible contributor because we tried to look for other reasons that they died," said Dr. Rama Rao, the study's author.

    No national reporting system


    Cotton
    Tammaria Cotton (left) had photos taken right before her liposuction. She died later that day of complications from the cosmetic surgery.  

    It's tough to gauge the extent of the problem because there is no mandatory or central reporting system in place to collect information on cosmetic surgery deaths and complications. There have been anecdotal reports linking liposuction to complications and deaths.

    A national survey conducted by a medical malpractice firm linked 60 deaths to liposuction in 1997. More than 200,000 liposuction procedures are done each year in the United States.

    "We need to put this in proper prospective," said Dr. Peter Foder of the Lipoplasty Society of North America. "These complications are very, very rare as long as the surgery is performed by a competent surgeon in a properly selected patient in a competent facility."

    The study's authors say patients need to be aware of the risks when evaluating whether to have the surgery.



    RELATED STORIES:
    CNN's Rhonda Rowland compares and contrasts the benefits and dangers of liposuction
    January 1, 1998
    New liposuction procedure raises hopes, fears
    January 1, 1998
    Beauty for a price: Plastic surgery fixes almost anything
    July 1, 1998

    RELATED SITES:
    American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons
    Lipoinfo.com Home Page
    The Surgery.com Plastic Surgery Web Site
    American Society for Dermatologic Surgery
    Tumescent Liposuction
    Health Answers Medical Reference Library
    American Board of Plastic Surgery
    New England Journal of Medicine
    Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
    External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

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