Potential risks associated with surgery include:

• Bleeding or haematoma, which may require drainage, transfusion or further surgery
• Infection requiring dressings, oral antibiotics, drainage or further treatment
• More significant infection requiring hospital admission, intravenous antibiotics or further surgery, including sepsis in rare cases
• Fluid accumulation, known as a seroma, which may require aspiration or drainage
• Delayed wound healing, wound separation or wound breakdown
• Loss of skin, fat or other tissue due to impaired blood supply
• Fat necrosis, producing firm or irregular areas beneath the skin
• Visible, widened, raised, thickened or otherwise unfavourable scarring
• Temporary or permanent numbness, hypersensitivity or altered sensation
• Injury to nearby nerves, blood vessels, muscles or other structures
• Persistent or chronic pain
• Swelling, bruising and firmness during recovery
• Asymmetry, contour irregularity or an outcome that differs from what was anticipated
• Allergic or adverse reactions to medications, dressings, adhesives or implanted materials
• Deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and other cardiac or respiratory complications
• Unplanned return to theatre or hospital admission

Very rarely, severe complications may result in significant permanent impairment or death.

Procedures performed under sedation or general anaesthesia carry additional risks. These may include nausea, vomiting, sore throat, dental injury, allergic reactions, breathing or airway complications, aspiration, blood clots, cardiac events and adverse reactions to anaesthetic medications.

Serious anaesthetic complications are uncommon. Your individual risks will be assessed and discussed separately by your specialist anaesthetist before surgery.

Every incision produces a permanent scar. Although scars generally soften and fade with time, their final appearance cannot be predicted precisely.

Scars may become widened, raised, thickened, discoloured, uncomfortable or tethered to deeper tissues. Hypertrophic or keloid scarring may occur in susceptible individuals. Some scars may require silicone therapy, injections, laser treatment or surgical revision.

Healing occurs gradually and may continue for 12 to 18 months or longer. Smoking, infection, tension, reduced circulation, previous radiotherapy and individual biology may all adversely affect healing.

Breast surgery includes breast augmentation, breast reduction, mastopexy, implant removal or replacement, fat grafting and other aesthetic or reconstructive procedures.

Specific considerations may include:

• Differences in breast size, shape, position or nipple level
• Changes in nipple or breast sensation, which may be temporary or permanent
• Nipple hypersensitivity, numbness or persistent discomfort
• Partial or complete loss of the nipple or areola due to impaired blood supply
• Fat necrosis or firm areas within the breast
• Delayed healing, particularly at points of greater wound tension
• Changes in the ability to breastfeed
• Changes in breast imaging or the need for additional investigation of breast findings
• Residual breast tissue, skin laxity or contour irregularity
• Changes in breast appearance over time due to ageing, pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight fluctuation or gravity
• The need for revision surgery to address asymmetry, scarring, recurrent droop or other concerns

Perfect breast symmetry cannot be achieved, and pre-existing differences between the breasts may remain following surgery.

Where breast implants are used, additional considerations include:

• Capsular contracture, where scar tissue around the implant becomes firm or distorted
• Implant displacement, rotation or malposition
• Implant visibility, palpability, wrinkling or rippling
• Implant rupture, leakage or deflation
• Breast asymmetry or changes in breast shape
• Infection or implant exposure requiring implant removal
• Fluid accumulation around the implant
• Persistent discomfort or dissatisfaction with the feel of the implant
• The need for future monitoring, replacement or removal

Breast implants are not lifetime devices, and further surgery may be required during a patient’s lifetime.

Rare implant-associated conditions have been reported, including breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma and breast implant-associated squamous cell carcinoma. Some patients also report systemic symptoms collectively described as breast implant illness. These issues and current recommendations for implant monitoring will be discussed in detail where relevant.

Breast reconstruction is often complex and may involve several staged procedures. It may use breast implants, tissue transferred from elsewhere on the body, fat grafting or a combination of techniques.

Potential risks include:

• Partial or complete loss of the mastectomy skin or nipple
• Delayed healing following previous surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy
• Infection, seroma, bleeding or wound breakdown
• Fat necrosis within the reconstructed breast
• Asymmetry in breast shape, size, position or contour
• Permanent loss or alteration of sensation
• Scarring at both the breast and any donor site
• Implant-related complications where an implant is used
• The need for multiple planned or unplanned procedures
• Changes in the reconstruction over time

Where tissue is transferred from another area of the body, risks may also include:

• Partial or complete flap loss due to interruption of its blood supply
• An urgent return to theatre to assess or restore flap circulation
• Delayed healing or tissue loss at the breast or donor site
• Fat necrosis or contour irregularity
• Weakness, bulging or hernia at an abdominal donor site
• Changes in strength, sensation or function at the donor site
• Asymmetry or the need for later refinement procedures

Despite careful microsurgical technique and monitoring, the survival of transferred tissue can never be guaranteed completely.

Facial procedures involve delicate structures, including the skin, fat, muscles, nerves, eyelids, hairline and deeper support layers.

Potential risks include:

• Bleeding or haematoma, sometimes requiring urgent treatment
• Prolonged swelling, bruising or firmness
• Visible, widened or asymmetrical scars
• Temporary or permanent numbness or altered sensation
• Injury to facial nerves affecting movement or expression
• Temporary weakness resulting from stretching or bruising of a nerve
• Skin loss or delayed healing, particularly around the ears or hairline
• Hair thinning or hair loss around surgical incisions
• Changes in the hairline, ear shape or sideburn position
• Facial asymmetry or contour irregularity
• Persistent tightness, tenderness or altered facial movement
• Under-correction, over-correction or recurrence of skin laxity
• Injury to deeper structures
• The need for revision surgery

Procedures around the eyes carry additional risks, including:

• Dryness, irritation, watering or sensitivity to light
• Difficulty closing the eyes completely
• Temporary blurred or double vision
• Eyelid asymmetry, retraction, rounding or pulling away from the eye
• Persistent swelling or chemosis of the conjunctiva
• Injury to the muscles controlling eye movement
• Corneal irritation or injury
• Bleeding behind the eye
• Visual impairment or loss of vision, which is extremely rare but potentially permanent

Body contouring procedures may include abdominoplasty, body lift, arm or thigh lift, liposuction and surgery following significant weight loss. These operations often involve long incisions, broad tissue dissection and more substantial recovery.

Potential risks include:

• Seroma requiring aspiration or drainage
• Bleeding, infection or haematoma
• Delayed healing, wound separation or skin loss
• Fat necrosis, firmness or irregularity beneath the skin
• Visible, widened, raised or asymmetrical scars
• Residual skin laxity, fullness or contour irregularity
• Indentations, waviness or asymmetry following liposuction
• Persistent swelling or altered sensation
• Changes in the position or shape of the umbilicus following abdominal surgery
• Partial or complete loss of the umbilicus
• Injury to underlying structures during liposuction or tissue dissection
• Deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and other cardiopulmonary complications
• The need for revision, scar correction or secondary contouring

Body contouring results may change over time with ageing, pregnancy and weight fluctuation.

Skin surgery includes excision of benign or malignant lesions and reconstruction using direct closure, skin grafts, local flaps or more complex techniques.

Potential risks include:

• Bleeding, infection or delayed wound healing
• Visible, widened, raised or contracted scarring
• Distortion of nearby structures due to wound tension or scar contraction
• Temporary or permanent changes in local sensation
• Contour irregularity, indentation or colour mismatch
• Partial or complete loss of a skin graft or reconstructive flap
• The need for dressings, wound care or a prolonged healing period
• Incomplete removal of a lesion or involved surgical margins
• The need for further excision or reconstruction
• Recurrence of a skin cancer or development of a new lesion
• Functional changes where surgery involves the eyelids, nose, lips, ears or other specialised areas

No surgery can guarantee that a skin cancer will not recur. Continued skin surveillance remains important following treatment.

Fat grafting may be used as part of facial, breast or reconstructive surgery.

Potential limitations and risks include:

• Partial absorption of the transferred fat
• An unpredictable final volume
• Asymmetry or contour irregularity
• Fat necrosis, cysts, calcification or firm areas
• Infection
• The need for more than one treatment to achieve the desired result
• Rare injury caused by fat entering a blood vessel

The amount of transferred fat that survives varies between individuals and cannot be guaranteed.

Non-surgical treatments are less invasive than surgery but are not risk-free.

General risks may include:

• Pain, bruising, swelling or tenderness
• Infection
• Allergic or inflammatory reactions
• Temporary or permanent sensory change
• Asymmetry, irregularity or an unsatisfactory result
• A variable degree or duration of improvement
• The need for further treatment

Additional risks may include:

• Lumps, nodules or product migration
• Temporary weakness of unintended muscles
• Eyelid or eyebrow drooping
• Over-correction, under-correction or asymmetry
• Delayed inflammatory reactions
• Vascular occlusion caused by interruption of blood flow
• Skin injury, scarring or tissue loss
• Visual impairment or blindness, which is extremely rare

Potential risks include:

• Prolonged redness, swelling or discomfort
• Blistering, burns or skin breakdown
• Infection, including reactivation of cold sores
• Temporary or permanent changes in pigmentation
• Scarring
• Delayed healing
• Failure to achieve the anticipated improvement
• The need for multiple treatments

Potential risks include:

• Bleeding, bruising or temporary swelling
• Infection
• Uneven pigment uptake
• Colour change or fading over time
• Scarring or changes in skin texture
• Allergic or inflammatory reactions to pigment
• The need for perfecting or additional treatment sessions

All bodies are naturally asymmetrical, and all healing and aesthetic outcomes vary between individuals.

Results are influenced by anatomy, skin quality, age, previous surgery, treatment complexity, medical conditions, lifestyle factors and adherence to postoperative instructions. Recovery may also progress differently on each side of the body.

Surgery aims to achieve improvement rather than perfection. A particular result, scar quality, degree of symmetry or duration of benefit cannot be guaranteed. Photographs of other patients may help illustrate possible outcomes but cannot predict an individual result.

Some apparent irregularity, swelling, firmness or asymmetry is normal during early recovery and may improve substantially as healing progresses. Final outcomes often cannot be assessed for several months and, in some procedures, for 12 to 18 months or longer.

The need for revision does not necessarily mean that surgery was performed incorrectly. Revision may be required because of an unexpected complication, individual healing, scar formation, anatomical limitations, changes over time or because the initial result has not fully achieved the intended goal.

Where further treatment is appropriate, its timing, likely benefit, risks and any associated costs will be discussed individually. Revision surgery carries its own risks and cannot guarantee a perfect outcome.

The decision to undergo surgery or treatment is personal. It requires consideration of the anticipated benefits, limitations, recovery and potential complications.

The risks most relevant to your proposed procedure and your individual circumstances will be discussed during consultation. You will have the opportunity to ask questions, consider alternatives and take time to decide whether treatment is right for you.

Written information and consent documentation will also be provided where appropriate. Please raise any questions or concerns with us at any stage before proceeding. The purpose of informed consent is not simply to list possible complications, but to ensure that you understand the proposed treatment sufficiently to make a considered decision.