Spending hundreds of millions, risking one's life to get liposuction, doing a beauty "combo"

(Dan Tri) - Believing that spending a large amount of money on liposuction will help improve body shape and aesthetics, many women have suffered serious consequences when their bodies suffered complications, even losing their lives.

Lost money, lost life after cosmetic liposuction

Recently, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health said it had received a medical incident report about a 32-year-old PTTD patient who died due to breast augmentation and arm liposuction surgery at the Paris Cosmetic Dentistry Hospital (District 3).

Immediately afterwards, the authorities established a Working Group consisting of experts from many specialties to evaluate the process of reception, surgery, and emergency treatment when the patient became seriously ill...

Paris Cosmetic Dentistry Hospital was also required to temporarily suspend performing surgeries and procedures from May 29 to serve the investigation.

Previously, an Indonesian patient also suffered a serious accident after liposuction at a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, requiring emergency resuscitation in a state of septic shock and acute heart failure.

It is worth mentioning that before performing liposuction, the patient was recorded to have underlying diabetes and high blood pressure, but still signed a commitment to accept surgery.

A case of complications after liposuction surgery (Photo: Doctor).

Another case is Ms. V. (37 years old, living in Ho Chi Minh City) because of her lack of confidence with her weight of 90kg and sagging lower abdomen, she went to a spa for liposuction, after seeing a loud advertisement on social networks about "liposuction without gaining weight again"...

Because she wanted to have a slim and beautiful body quickly, she decided to have liposuction on her abdomen, waist, and waist for 165 million VND. Immediately after the liposuction, the woman saw her abdomen was concave and convex, red and swollen, but the spa staff explained that this was a normal condition and would gradually go away on its own.

When the patient experienced continuous dizziness, headaches, shortness of breath, and persistent scars on the abdomen, he went to the doctor and discovered that he had damaged abdominal muscles due to improper liposuction, requiring active treatment to handle complications.

Another case is Ms. A. (40 years old, living in Dong Nai province) spent 90 million VND to have liposuction on her shoulders, back, and lower abdomen at a beauty salon near her house. Afterwards, her entire abdomen and back became red, swollen, and painful.

She was treated with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs for 10 days, but when the pain went away, scars appeared on her shoulders, back, and abdomen where the needles were inserted. Not only that, 2 months later, her weight returned to normal.

The patient was left with a long scar after liposuction (Photo: Doctor).

Why is liposuction a dangerous surgery?

Dr. Lam Van Hoang, Director of the Weight Loss Center in Ho Chi Minh City, said that liposuction is an invasive method to reduce subcutaneous fat quite effectively, but it is only temporary and does not help with overall weight loss.

Liposuction, if not prescribed and performed by a licensed doctor and medical facility, can easily cause many complications such as bruising, swelling, dents, and difficulty in aesthetic recovery. More seriously, the patient may have blood infection, pulmonary embolism, blood vessel blockage, etc., which are life-threatening.

Studies around the world show that the complication rate after liposuction surgery is about 2.6%. If patients perform this service at unprestigious facilities or with unskilled surgeons, the complication rate will be much higher.

Speaking to Dan Tri reporters on the sidelines of the press conference of the ASLS Hanoi 2025 Aesthetic Science Conference and Exhibition, which took place in Ho Chi Minh City recently, Associate Professor, Dr. Le Hanh, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Cosmetic Surgery Association, said that in addition to injection techniques and small interventions performed by "amateurs", major cosmetic surgeries with complications can be performed by licensed doctors.

According to data in the United States, the rate of complications during liposuction surgery is 1/20,000 cases, but in Vietnam there are currently no specific statistics.

Associate Professor, Dr. Le Hanh, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Plastic Surgery (Photo: Hoang Le).

The question is why complications occur? According to Associate Professor Le Hanh, liposuction is the most dangerous surgery in cosmetic surgery, because anesthesia is required on obese people and the customers are often elderly with many underlying diseases.

In addition, customers often not only have liposuction of the abdomen but also other "combos" such as breast implants, arm liposuction...

“We have met and consulted with the Department of Health to recommend not performing “combo”, but many customers have this need. Some people come back from abroad and want to have many surgeries in a short time.

Currently, most hospitals do well. But this only reduces the possibility of complications but cannot completely eliminate them, the risk rate still exists," Associate Professor Le Hanh said.

The President of the Ho Chi Minh City Cosmetic Surgery Association shared about 5 safety standards needed in cosmetic surgery. They are “patient safety”, “doctor safety”, “surgery safety”, “facility safety” and “management safety”.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/ton-tram-trieu-danh-doi-tinh-mang-di-hut-mo-thuc-hien-combo-lam-dep-20250605110806347.htm