Safety of Tumescent Liposuction Under Local Anesthesia in 9,002 Consecutive Patients.

BACKGROUND

Liposuction has become one of the most popular aesthetic procedures today. Among the different anesthesia methods, tumescent local anesthesia (TLA) has been shown to be the safest. Liposuction is typically performed as an outpatient procedure under minimal oral sedation and without the need for any intravenous (IV) fluid administration.

OBJECTIVE

To record complications in a larger series of patients undergoing liposuction in TLA.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Between 2003 and 2020, 9,002 consecutive patients underwent liposuction in TLA with the same team of surgeons. The occurrence of complications was recorded in detail.

RESULTS

There were neither fatal complications nor damage to deeper structures such as nerves, blood vessels, muscles, lungs, abdominal organs, nor permanent lymphedema. A total of 19 of the following side effects, mainly minor, required closer follow-up or intervention: allergic drug reaction to doxycycline (0.06%), seroma (0.04%), large hematoma (0.03%), erysipelas (0.02%), transient acrocyanosis (0.02%), deep vein thrombosis (0.01%), skin necrosis (0.01%), and generalized edema (0.01%).

CONCLUSION

Liposuction in TLA is a reliable and safe procedure if it is performed by an experienced surgeon and the guidelines of care are strictly followed.