In the past, liposuction was always performed under general anesthesia. For those of you who may not be as familiar with the medical terminology, general anesthesia is when a patient is “knocked out” with a sedative or gas. This is the typical picture you may have of someone going into surgery unconscious. General anesthesia is delivered through inhalation or intravenously, and it has a sedating effect on the entire body. Local anesthesia, in contrast, is used to numb and desensitize a particular part of the body. Under local anesthesia a part of the body will be numb but you will be awake and alert. Looking back 10 and more years ago, all liposuction was done under general anesthesia. However, advances in science and the field of plastic surgery have enabled certain procedures to be done under local anesthesia, and so a controversy has arisen among plastic surgeons as to which type of anesthesia is best for their patients.
Historically, the idea of plastic surgery brings to mind unconscious patients, scalpels, blood, and long recovery times. It is no wonder that patients are hesitant to want to elect surgery that requires them to go under general anesthesia. Doctors themselves began to consider alternatives, since procedures like liposuction that were less invasive were still requiring patients to go through the process of general anesthesia which included longer recovery times and longer surgery time.
Modern day liposuction is praised for being an easy and convenient procedure that can make a huge difference for a patient’s self-esteem and their appearance. In order to live up to its reputation, some doctors have adopted methods of liposuction that allow them to use only local anesthesia for patients undergoing the procedure. For example, laser-assisted liposuction and small areas of invasive body sculpting can both be done under local anesthesia by simply numbing the treated area prior to the procedure.
Let us compare the two by looking at two cases of liposuction, one with a patient undergoing general anesthesia and one undergoing local anesthesia. Scenario one is a patient who elects liposuction under general anesthesia. The plastic surgeon chooses the more traditional method of tumescent liposuction that involves intravenous sedation or general anesthesia. Before surgery, the patient is put under general anesthesia and is kept sedated while the procedure is underway. When they awake, common experiences include being nauseous and groggy. During recovery, patients must wait for them to regain a level of consciousness and become more awake.
The second scenario is a patient undergoing liposuction under local anesthesia. The patient arrives for the procedure and is quickly prepped and injected with the local anesthetic. While fully alert, the surgeon removes the excess fat through either a laser or other non-invasive procedure making minimal incisions. After the procedure, the patient requires little time to recover prior to going home, and generally experiences less swelling and bruising. Partly as a result of avoiding the grogginess and nausea of general anesthesia, the patient is able to recover days faster and resume normal activities quicker.
Looking at the comparison between these two patients, it might seem like an easy choice: choose local anesthesia! It is less invasive and requires less of a recovery time. However, the decision is not so cut and dry, and your plastic surgeon must consult with you prior to the procedure to determine what he thinks is best. Liposuction that only requires local anesthesia is more likely to be performed on a smaller area of the body and the procedure is likely not that complex. For more complicated liposuction procedures that cover a wider area of the body, like the abdominals for example, may require general anesthesia.
The good news is that today patients have options, and you and your plastic surgeon can determine together which option is best for you during your liposuction procedure. Kole Plastic Surgery at the Kole Plastic Surgery Center can help you figure out which type of anesthesia will best suit your desired procedure and your goals for liposuction. For more information or to set up a complimentary private consultation, please call the Kole Plastic Surgery Center Center at 215-315-7655 .
