Toxic shock syndrome associated with suction-assisted lipectomy

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a serious, potentially life-threatening condition resulting from an exotoxin of Staphylococcus aureus. Presenting symptoms include high fever, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting progressing to hypotension, oliguria, conjunctival hyperemia, and an erythematous rash over the trunk, abdomen, and extremities. TSS has been associated both with and without the use of tampons during menstruation, postsurgical infections, and stab wounds, and can occur in postrhinoplasty patients with and without nasal packing. There has been one case reported in the literature of TSS associated with suction-assisted lipectomy (SAL). This article discusses the diagnosis and treatment of two cases in which the patients developed TSS after outpatient use of SAL. In the first case, an abdominoplasty and SAL were performed in a healthy young female. The second case involved the harvesting of abdominal fat via syringe suction and subsequent facial fat injection in a female with systemic lupus erythematosus and severe facial atrophy.