Many board-certified plastic surgeons routinely see patients in need of secondary or re-do operations. In my own practice, at least 50 percent of the patients consulting with me about liposuction are seeking corrective surgery. Many, but unfortunately not all, such patients can be helped and their results can be improved. However, it is important for these patients to have realistic expectations; an outstanding outcome from a re-do is less likely, even in experienced hands, than if the procedure were being performed for the first time.
When liposuction is performed without discretion, artistic sense, or technical skill, the results can be unattractive and very discouraging to patients. Most commonly, secondary liposuction is performed to treat asymmetry, surface irregularities, and/or contour problems caused by excessive fat removal.
Treatment of poor liposuction results often includes strategic suctioning to correct asymmetries and areas that were insufficiently reduced by the primary procedure. In other instances, areas over-reduced by the primary procedure are treated by autologous fat transfer. Very commonly, a combination of these two techniques is used to improve on less-than-satisfactory results obtained by another surgeon.
Peter Fodor, M.D., F.A.C.S.
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