Insights

What 20,000+ liposuction patients tell us about local anesthesia

Big series, low complication rates, and a key condition: do it the right way.

Safety & setting · 2 min read

Three published series of tumescent liposuction under local anesthesia are worth knowing:

  • 15,336 patients in a national survey of dermatologic surgeons: complications reported were infrequent and minor, with no deaths, embolism, hypovolemic shock or transfusions.
  • 3,240 consecutive procedures by one surgeon using exclusively TLA: no deaths and no complications needing hospitalization.
  • 4,380 consecutive patients (2003 to 2010) by one surgeon: no serious complications requiring hospitalization.

The fine print: these are surgeon-reported series and a survey, not randomized trials, and they describe tumescent liposuction, not every awake operation.

Keep reading: the next piece explains the single most important caveat.

Explore your options at a consultation   Take the Comfort Compass

← All insights

References

  1. Hanke CW, Bernstein G, Bullock S. Safety of tumescent liposuction in 15,336 patients. National survey results. Dermatol Surg. 1995;459-462. PMID 7743109
  2. Habbema L. Safety of liposuction using exclusively tumescent local anesthesia in 3,240 consecutive cases. Dermatol Surg. 2009;1728-1735. PMID 19660028
  3. Boeni R. Safety of tumescent liposuction under local anesthesia in a series of 4,380 patients. Dermatology. 2011;278-281. PMID 21606638