What is tumescent liposuction, and what are the differences between the various forms of liposuction?
There are two basic techniques of performing liposuction. One technique uses local anesthesia only and the other technique uses some form of general or systemic anesthesia. The main difference between the two is that liposuction done with local anesthesia only is safer, the recover is faster, and the results are smoother. Local anesthesia may be used in conjunction with general anesthesia, but this is not as safe as liposuction done with local anesthesia only. With local anesthesia only, the patient never loses consciousness during the procedure. In the local anesthesia only technique, the area to be suctioned is numbed with a very dilute solution of anesthetic. This technique is called tumescent liposuction, and in addition to enabling liposuction to be performed more safely, it enhances fat removal, minimizes blood loss, and shortens recovery.
