Liposuction Using Only Local Anesthesia as a Standalone Procedure is the Safest Form of Liposuction
By: Dr. Lawrence Osman | Posted: 30th May 2007
Liposuction using only local anesthesia when performed as a standalone procedure is the safest form of liposuction. In this procedure, the area to be suctioned is numbed by infiltrating it with local anesthesia. The patient is not put to sleep or in a twilight state.
Several surveys of liposuction surgeons support these claims. A survey by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery revealed no fatalities in 15,336 patients who underwent liposuction using local anesthesia. There were also no serious complications such as embolus, shock or perforation of a critical body cavity. The most common causes of death from liposuction surgery are thromboembolism which is the formation of a blood clot in the leg that travels to the lung, perforation of the abdominal cavity or an organ, and complications from anesthsia or a medication. Liposuction using local anesthesia minimizes the risk from anesthesia, and makes it very unlikely that a surgeon would perforate an organ because an alert patient would feel pain and could warn the surgeon if he/she is getting close. A clot is also less likely to form with this type of anesthesia because patients are able to walk around immediately after the procedure; immobility is a risk for clot formation.
Liposuction is safest if it is performed as a standalone procedure and not combined with other procedures, especially a tummy tuck. A survey taken by Hughes in 2001 revealed that the risk of death increases 6 – 7 fold when liposuction is performed in conjunction with other procedures (excluding a tummy tuck). The death rate increases over 15 times when combined with a tummy tuck. The risk of death from a tummy tuck alone is approximately 1 in 2500 according to a survey published by Teimourian and Rogers in 1989.
All of this data has led to the publication of guidelines by the major specialty societies. In general, all guidelines recommend keeping below a maximum dose of local anesthesia and removing less than 5 liters (over 10 pounds) of fat per surgery.
About the author:
Dr. Lawrence Osman is a board-certified liposuction specialist, and the founder of the Liposuction & Aesthetic Center in Los Angeles, California.
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Tags: conjunction, body cavity, local anesthesia, tummy tuck, liposuction, death rate, 5 liters, abdominal cavity, causes of death, perforation, blood clot, rate increases, immobility