Liposuction Port-Site Protection: The Evidence

Port-site complications are a less-discussed but common part of liposuction. This page summarises published research on protecting the access site. None of these studies tested Exo-Port. They looked at port-site protection in general, mostly with improvised protectors.

Key findings

1. Protection cut port-site complications from 33% to 7%

A retrospective review of 60 consecutive patients treated with cosmetic liposuction or fat transfer (August 2022 – March 2024) compared 30 patients without port protection with 30 patients whose incisions were protected by a segment of suction tubing sutured to the skin. Port-site complications occurred in 10 of 30 unprotected patients (33.3%) and 2 of 30 protected patients (6.7%, p = .0093). The protected group needed less wound management, fewer steroid injections and fewer revisions.1

2. Friction is the cause; heat from ultrasound adds to it

Skin damage at the port site from repeated cannula friction is described as a common side effect of suction-assisted lipoplasty, with further damage possible from contact with a hot ultrasound-assisted liposuction probe.2 Friction burns, hyperpigmentation and necrosis at the access sites are among the most common complications linked to the repetitive back-and-forth movement of the cannula.3

3. Skin ports were part of the original VASER protocol

In an early clinical study of VASER-assisted lipoplasty, skin protection included specially designed skin ports to protect the incision edges and wet towels next to the port sites.4

4. Animal model: intact skin with a protector, burns without

In a swine model, 20 minutes of simulated liposuction without a protector produced a burn, oedema and serous discharge at the incision. With a protective device, the skin showed no burn signs.5

Improvised protectors vs a purpose-built port

Surgeons have described protecting the port with cut suction tubing,1 a trimmed 1 ml syringe barrel2 or sections of nasopharyngeal airway.3 These show that protection helps. A purpose-built port such as Exo-Port adds defined sizes matched to cannula diameter, an obturator for insertion, a suture disc to hold it in place, and reusable, autoclavable construction, so the setup is the same from case to case.

References

  1. Moyer HR, Sisson KM. Liposuction port-site protection: necessity or needless expense? Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1093/asjof/ojae098
  2. Bank J, Song DH. Inexpensive method of liposuction cannula port-site protection. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2013;37:843. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-013-0130-4
  3. Salhi S, Meunier F, Cordoba C. Use of a nasopharyngeal cannula as a skin protector during lipoaspiration. JPRAS Open, 2017;12:87–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpra.2017.04.004
  4. Jewell ML, Fodor PB, et al. Clinical application of VASER-assisted lipoplasty: a pilot clinical study. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 2002. https://www.qxmd.com/r/19331963
  5. Evaluation of the effectiveness of a modified liposuction protective device: an experimental study in swine. Revista Brasileira de Cirurgia Plástica. https://scielo.br/j/rbcp/a/GpPw5NbYngQjRGmP53Q8MQg/?lang=en

This page is intended for healthcare professionals and is provided for information only. It is not medical advice. Always follow the Exo-Port Instructions for Use.

Exo-Port™ Liposuction Skin Ports
P.O. Box 398, Center Valley, PA 18034, USA
Phone +1 (610) 868-8400 · info@exo-port.com