ORIGINAL ARTICLE Evaluation of the Risk of Systemic Fat Mobilization and Fat Embolus Following Liposuction with Dry and Tumescent Technique: An Experimental Study on Rats Dilek S ¸ enen Æ D. Atakul Æ G. Erten Æ B. Erdog ˘an Æ N. Lortlar Received: 15 December 2008 / Accepted: 4 June 2009 / Published online: 19 August 2009 Ó Springer Science+Business Media, LLC and International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 2009 Abstract Background Clinical studies have revealed that liposuc- tion causes systemic fat mobilization. However, the degree of the risk it causes is not clear. In this study we investigated the risk of systemic fat mobilization and fat embolus in rats following liposuction using dry and tumescent techniques. Methods At the end of the procedures, the rats were sac- rificed and specimens were obtained from the lungs, kid- neys, liver, brain, and skin. Histological examinations of the specimens were carried out. Liposuction was not performed in the control group (n = 8), but blood and tissue specimens for histological examinations were obtained. Results We found signs of fat embolus in both blood specimens and histological examinations of tissue samples in the study groups. However, the results of the examina- tions were normal in the control group. Although there were no fat particles in the blood before liposuction, blood specimens obtained following the procedures and in the long-term had fat particles. Keywords Liposuction Á Tumescent technique Liposuction has gained popularity since the 1970s and has become one of the most frequently performed aesthetic operations. In fact, 350,000 people underwent liposuction in the United States and liposuction was the most frequent aesthetic operation in 2000 [1]. Many patients prefer liposuction since it is safe and yields sat- isfactory results [2]. Despite its popularity, there have been studies and case reports about the safety and complications of liposuction [2–8]. Fat embolus syndrome (FES) is a disorder caused by fat particles that enter the circulatory system and is char- acterized by respiratory, hematological, neurological, and skin symptoms [9]. FES frequently appears after orthope- dic injuries. However, there have been many studies showing that FES occurs after liposuction [1–19]. It has been reported that liposuction causes mechanical trauma to fat deposits, which in turn leads to systemic fat mobiliza- tion [1, 13–18]. Previous experimental studies have con- firmed the risk of fat mobilization following liposuction [1, 15]; however, the severity of the risks for fat mobilization after liposuction is not clear. Materials and Methods This study included 40 female Albino Wistar rats aged 6 months and weighing 260–320 g (300 g on average). They were divided into five groups: four study groups and one control group. Study Group 1: Eight rats were assigned to study group 1 and underwent liposuction with the tumescent technique. Blood and tissue specimens were obtained within 1 h of the procedure in all rats. Study Group 2: Eight rats were assigned to study group 2 and underwent liposuction with the dry technique. Blood and tissue specimens were obtained within 1 h of the procedure in all rats. D. S ¸ enen Á D. Atakul Á G. Erten (&) Á B. Erdog ˘an Plastic Surgery Clinic, Numune Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey e-mail: gozdeerten@gmail.com D. S ¸ enen e-mail: dsenen@yahoo.com N. Lortlar Department of Pathology, Gazi University Rectorate, 06500, Teknikokullar, Ankara, Turkey 123 Aesth Plast Surg (2009) 33:730–737 DOI 10.1007/s00266-009-9396-y