Tumescent Liposuction

Tumescent liposuction is considered by many cosmetic surgeons and patients to be the safest and most effective form of liposuction surgery. The use of larger amounts of local anesthetic not only reduces pain after surgery, but also reduces bleeding, swelling, and skin irregularities and makes the entire procedure run more smoothly. Tumescent liposuction has gained a tremendous amount of popularity in recent years, primarily because it has eliminated some of the unpleasant side effects previously associated with liposuction. The procedure itself is similar to the traditional method, but with a few differences.

Tumescent liposuction can significantly reduce some of the unpleasant side effects of other techniques. Because the anesthetic solution temporarily reduces the size of the capillaries, it can significantly reduce blood loss during surgery and the pain, bruising, and swelling that occurs afterward. And because tumescent liposuction provides local anesthesia, patients can avoid the side effects of general anesthesia, such as vomiting and nausea.

As with any form of liposuction, complications can occur during tumescent liposuction. Two risks that are unique to tumescent liposuction are lidocaine toxicity and fluid accumulation. Lidocaine toxicity occurs when the amount of lidocaine in the tumescent solution is too high, making it difficult for the body to adequately metabolize the drug. When too much solution is injected into the treatment area, it is possible for fluid to accumulate in the lungs.

Wet liposuction simply refers to the use of fluid injection prior to liposuction treatment. To prepare for wet liposuction, the surgeon administers approximately 100 milliliters of local anesthesia containing epinephrine directly into the tissue. This results in less blood loss during the procedure and reduces patient discomfort after surgery.

The super wet technique is similar to tumescent liposuction, except that it uses a solution containing less of the anesthetics lidocaine and epinephrine. In their place, intravenous sedation or general anesthetic is used (because the area being treated does not become fully anesthetized by the solution alone). Not using an injected local anesthetic means that the doctor does not have to wait for any swelling to go down. The surgery usually takes no longer than two hours, and the patient can opt to have other procedures performed while the general anesthetic is in effect.