Background: Liposuction in plastic surgery consists of the removal of excess fatty tissue in healthy individuals. In recent decades, this procedure has become more common worldwide. Associated with liposuction, lipografting has also been used for improving body contours, and has become known as liposculpture. Liposuction sometimes causes complications, including fat embolism, as described in the medical literature. The present study aims at ascertaining whether there is intravascular mobilization of fat after mechanical liposuction surgery and/or fat graft when carried out using one of the most common specific procedures used for liposuction, the superwet technique. Methods: A total of 30 Wistar rats were included in this study. Before the surgery, the animals were placed in the supine position and anesthetized with thiopental for 50 to 60 minutes, as it is generally performed in clinical practice. The animals were divided in the following 3 groups. Group A, consisting of 10 rats, served as controls, and were only anesthetized. Group B consisted of 10 rats, which underwent only liposuction. Group C also comprised 10 rats, which were liposuctioned and then lipografted in the dorsal region. Blood was collected just before and again, 48 hours after the procedure. After 48 hours, the animals were killed, and the lungs, kidneys, liver, and brain were histologically examined. Results: All the collected samples were analyzed microscopically with 2 different stains, namely, hematoxylin and eosin, and Sudan black. Fat particles were found in the lungs of 3 animals in group B (those that underwent only liposuction) and in 6 animals of group C (liposuction and lipografting). No fat particles were found in any organ of the control group. Conclusions: With this experiment, the authors showed that there is a risk of systemic mobilization of fat after liposuction surgery and that this risk is even higher when fat grafts are also carried out. Copyright © 2011 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.672101105(2009) Plastic Surgery Statistics, , www.plasticsurgery.org/Documents/Media/2006-Top-Five-Surgical-Cosmetic- Procedures.pdf, American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Available at(2006), www.cirurgiaplastica.org.br, Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery-Institute DATAFOLHA Available atSouto, A.M., Freitas, L.F., Merheb, G.M., (2005) Book of Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery, pp. 757-765. , In: Carreirão S, Cardin V, Goldenberg D. (SBCP) São Paulo, Brazil: AtheneuKenkel, J.M., Brown, S.A., Love, E.J., Waddle, J.P., Krueger, J.E., Noble, D., Robinson Jr., J.B., Rohrich, R.J., Hemodynamics, electrolytes, and organ histology of larger-volume liposuction in a porcine model (2004) Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 113 (5), pp. 1391-1399. , DOI 10.1097/01.PRS.0000112748.48243.62Ross, R.M., Johnson, G.W., Fat embolism after liposuction (1988) Chest., 93, pp. 1294-1295El-Ali, K.M., Gourlay, T., Assessment of the risk of systemic fat mobilization and fat embolism as a consequence of liposuction: Ex vivo study (2006) Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 117 (7), pp. 2269-2276. , DOI 10.1097/01.prs.0000218715.58016.71, PII 0000653420060600000026Grazer, F.M., De Jong, R.H., Fatal outcomes from liposuction: Census survey of cosmetic surgeons (2000) Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 105 (1), pp. 436-446Laub Jr., D.R., Laub, D.R., Fat embolism syndrome after liposuction: A case report and review of the literature (1990) Annals of Plastic Surgery, 25 (1), pp. 48-52. , DOI 10.1097/00000637-199007000-00011Costa, A.N., Mendes, D.M., Toufen, C., Adult respiratory distress syndrome due to fat embolism in the postoperative period following liposuction and fat grafting (2008) J Bras Pneumol., 34, pp. 622-625Dillerud, E., Re: Fat embolism after liposuction (1991) Ann Plast Surg., 26, p. 293Senen, D., Atakul, D., Erten, G., Evaluation of the risk of systemic fat mobilization and fat embolus following liposuction with dry and tumescent technique: An experimental study on rats (2009) Aesthetic Plast Surg., 33, pp. 730-737Toledo, L.S., Syringe liposculpture: A two-year experience (1991) Aesthetic Plast Surg., 15, pp. 321-326Flecknell, P., Local and regional anaesthesia in laboratory animals (1996) Laboratory Animal Anaesthesia, pp. 69-70. , 2nd ed. London, UK: Academic PressWixson, S.K., Smiler, K.L., Anesthesia and analgesia in rodents (1997) Anesthesia and Analgesia in Laboratory Animals, pp. 165-203. , In: Kohn DF, ed. London, UK: Academic PressBallaux, P.K.E.W., Gourlay, T., Ratnatunga, C.P., Taylor, K.M., A literature review of cardiopulmonary bypass models for rats (1999) Perfusion, 14 (6), pp. 411-417