The Drug-Induced Respiratory Disease Website

Liposuction

Fat/oil embolism - The FES embolism syndrome

Migration of exogenous oil or lipids or endogenous fat into the distal pulmonary microcirculation can cause a syndrome of acute coughing, hypoxemia, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary infiltrates and/or ARDS. Neurologic or visual impairment and obtundation characterizes those cases with transpulmonary shunting of oil/fat and have a guarded prognosis. Silicone embolism (see under VIm) is a closely-related syndrome. Iodinated oil embolism, a nearly specific complication of TACE is electron-dense on imaging (better visualized on non-enhanced CT). Imaging features: PMID 23102488. Review and pathology: PMID 29939780.

Publications

Recinos S, Barillas S, Rodas A, Ardebol J

A rare case of fat embolism syndrome secondary to abdominal liposuction and gluteal fat infiltration.

Journal of surgical case reports 2020 Dec;2020;rjaa441 — 2020 Dec — rjaa441

Cantu CA, Pavlisko EN

Liposuction-Induced Fat Embolism Syndrome: A Brief Review and Postmortem Diagnostic Approach.

Archives of pathology & laboratory medicine 2018 07;142;871-875 — 2018 07 — 871-875

Byeon SW, Ban TH, Rhee CK

A Case of Acute Fulminant Fat Embolism Syndrome after Liposuction Surgery.

Tuberculosis and respiratory diseases 2015 Oct;78;423-7 — 2015 Oct — 423-7

Cohen L, Engdahl R, Latrenta G

Hypoxia after abdominal and thigh liposuction: pulmonary embolism or fat embolism?

Eplasty 2014;14;ic19 — 2014 — ic19

Senen D, Atakul D, Erten G, Erdo?an B, Lortlar N

Evaluation of the risk of systemic fat mobilization and fat embolus following liposuction with dry and tumescent technique: an experimental study on rats.

Aesthetic plastic surgery 2009 Sep;33;730-7 — 2009 Sep — 730-7

Wang HD, Zheng JH, Deng CL, Liu QY, Yang SL

Fat embolism syndromes following liposuction.

Aesthetic plastic surgery 2008 Sep;32;731-6 — 2008 Sep — 731-6

Rothmann C, Ruschel N, Streiff R, Pitti R, Bollaert PE

[Fat pulmonary embolism after liposuction].

Annales francaises d'anesthesie et de reanimation 2006 Feb;25;189-92 — 2006 Feb — 189-92

Platt MS, Kohler LJ, Ruiz R, Cohle SD, Ravichandran P

Deaths associated with liposuction: case reports and review of the literature.

Journal of forensic sciences 2002 Jan;47;205-7 — 2002 Jan — 205-7

Fourme T, Vieillard-Baron A, Loubières Y, Julié C, Page B, Jardin F

Early fat embolism after liposuction.