Have there been any deaths related to tumescent liposuction totally by local anesthesia?
No. There have been no reported deaths associated with tumescent liposuction totally by local anesthesia. Virtually all deaths associated with liposuction have been associated with 1) multiple unrelated surgical procedures performed on the same day (facelift, breast augmentation, hysterectomy, etc), 2) excessive amounts of liposuction or an excessive number of body areas treated by liposuction on a single day, 3) the use of general anesthesia or heavy IV sedation with narcotics. Liposuction is an extremely safe procedure provided the patient is not exposed to excessive surgical trauma, excessive narcotic analgesics, or prolonged use of general anesthesia.
