Warning over liposuction complication

Medics have issued a warning over a life-threatening condition after a woman almost died from liposuction.

Fat embolism syndrome (FES) occurs when fat molecules travel to and block the small vessels of the lung and other parts of the body, causing damage to the brain and leading to respiratory failure.

It can be difficult to diagnose in the first 24 hours, but then symptoms can come on rapidly. They include extreme breathlessness, pain in the chest, fever, rash and a high heart rate.

Writing in the journal BMJ Case Reports, experts from the intensive care unit at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust said they treated a 45-year-old woman who had to go into intensive care after developing FES.