How is the Tumescent Technique of Liposuction Performed?
Liposuction can be performed on the dermatologic surgeon’s office facility, in an outpatient surgical suite or in a hospital. If general anesthesia is not otherwise indicated, its potential complications can be avoided by the use of local anesthesia (often used with light sedation) via the tumescent technique. This breakthrough technique refers to filling the skin with local anesthetic in order to remove unwanted fat more efficiently. With tumescent liposuction, large volumes of a solution containing dilute lidocaine (a local anesthetic) and dilute epinephrine (a drug to shrink capillaries and prevent blood loss) are injected with minimal discomfort directly into areas of excessive fatty deposits. Once the liquid is injected, a small incision is made in the skin, and a tube connected to a vacuum is inserted into the fatty layer. Using to and fro movements the fat is drawn through the tube into a collection system. The tumescent method enables the dermatologic surgeon to remove large am
Dr. Jeff Klein, a dermatologic surgeon in California, developed the tumescent technique in 1985. Dr. Klein’s technique has become the method of choice by practitioners performing liposuction. A survey in the American Journal of Dermatologic Surgery on the safety of the tumescent technique showed that the procedure was done in over 15,000 patients and there were no serious complications, hospitalizations, blood transfusions, or death. Before surgery, a complete medical history is taken and a careful examination is conducted in order to evaluate the patient’s condition. Patient expectation is also discussed. The tumescent technique, which is the safest form of liposuction with the quickest recovery time, is performed in an outpatient surgical suite. The word tumescent refers to swelling of the skin with local anesthetic. This local anesthetic consists of normal saline, lidocaine for numbing, and a vasoconstrictive drug called epinephrine. The tumescent technique allows the surgeon to per
Liposuction can be performed in the dermatologic surgeon’s office facility, in an outpatient surgical suite or in a hospital. If general anesthesia is not otherwise indicated, its potential complications can be avoided by the use of local anesthesia (often used with light sedation) via the tumescent technique. This breakthrough technique refers to filling the skin with local anesthetic in order to remove unwanted fat more efficiently. With tumescent liposuction, large volumes of a solution containing dilute lidocaine (a local anesthetic) and dilute epinephrine (a drug to shrink capillaries and prevent blood loss) are injected with minimal discomfort directly into areas of excessive fatty deposits. Once the liquid is injected, a small incision is made in the skin, and a tube connected to a vacuum is inserted into the fatty layer. Using to and fro movements, the fat is drawn through the tube into a collection system. The tumescent method enables the dermatologic surgeon to remove large a
Liposuction can be performed in the dermatologic surgeons office facility, in an outpatient surgical suite or in a hospital. If general anesthesia is not otherwise indicated, its potential complications can be avoided by the use of local anesthesia (often used with light sedation) via the tumescent technique. This breakthrough technique refers to filling the skin with local anesthetic in order to remove unwanted fat more efficiently. With tumescent liposuction, large volumes of a solution containing dilute lidocaine (a local anesthetic) and dilute epinephrine (a drug to shrink capillaries and prevent blood loss) are injected with minimal discomfort directly into areas of excessive fatty deposits. Once the liquid is injected, a small incision is made in the skin, and a tube connected to a vacuum is inserted into the fatty layer. Using to and fro movements, the fat is drawn through the tube into a collection system. The tumescent method enables the dermatologic surgeon to remove large am
