| - | In-office liposuctionSeveral advantages over conventional procedure | Liposuction, a procedure which removes unwanted fat from specific areas including abdomen, hips, buttocks, thighs, knees, upper arms, chin, cheeks and neck, is the most popular body redefining procedure in America today. Much liposuction performed by plastic surgeons occurs with the patient under general anesthesia, because often a number of other cosmetic or plastic procedures are occurring at the same time. And as discussed separately, any time anesthesia is used, not only does it raise risk, it also jacks up the cost. (Related: Buttock augmentation) | | | This is leading to some surgeons developing innovative solutions for plastic surgery without anesthesia. For instance, Dr. Thomas Lyons is now providing liposuction as an in-office procedure in which the true tumescent technique (using only local anesthesia) is not used. “When the patient is able to move and stand up during the liposuction procedure, the doctor can see the correct contours — and the patient can tell you she’d like a little more taken off here, and a little bit there. Under general anesthesia when the patient is lying on a table paralyzed, it’s harder to get liposuction right—people may have to come back for touch-ups, which means more hassle and the expense of additional time in surgery,” said Lyons.
Benefits of in-office lipo as a separate procedure using local anesthesia
There is less potential for drug interaction and fewer complications reported with this technique than with liposuction under general anesthetic. The aesthetic results obtained are also better with a diminished need to return for touch-ups. Some of the other benefits are: | |
| Diminished Pain: “The local anesthesia doesn’t wear off for 12 hours,” said  Lyons. “Patients are able to take a break during the procedure and have something to drink or eat. In this way the patient’s blood sugar levels remain stable and the patient just feels better -- more in control.”
Greater Safety: “A patient who is awake can respond when something unusual happens,” said Dr. Lyons. Liposuction takes time. In a facility
time is money, so there is, at times, a rush to complete this portion of a more complex time consuming procedure. (Related: Liposuction for obese kids)
Less Expense: Since the lipo is being performed in the office there is no “facility” fee. The fees paid are to the physician only which makes
this a significantly less expensive procedure. | | | |
