PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Adam Ali
AU  - George Theobald
AU  - Mohammed Asif Arshad
TI  - Fat attacks!: a case of fat embolisation syndrome postliposuction
AID  - 10.1136/bcr-2017-220789
DP  - 2017 Oct 04
TA  - BMJ Case Reports
PG  - bcr-2017-220789
VI  - 2017
4099  - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/2017/bcr-2017-220789.short
4100  - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/2017/bcr-2017-220789.full
AB  - Liposuction is a procedure commonly performed in the UK usually with a low incidence of serious sequelae; however with larger patients and increased volumes of lipoaspirate, complications have been reported more frequently. One of the rare but very serious complications postliposuction is fat embolism syndrome (FES), a life-threatening condition difficult to diagnose and limited in treatment.The authors present the case of a 45-year-old woman who was admitted to the intensive care unit postelective liposuction for bilateral leg lipoedema. She presented with the triad of respiratory failure, cerebral dysfunction and petechial rash requiring a brief period of organ support. This case highlights that with the recent increase in liposuction procedures worldwide, FES is a differential to always consider. Although still a rare condition this article emphasises the importance of thinking outside the box and how to identify and manage such a life-threatening complication.