Insights
Tummy tuck without general anesthesia: what has been published
A 106-patient series paired tumescent anesthesia with spinal anesthesia, with no conversions to general.
Procedures · 2 min read
Abdominoplasty is usually done under general anesthesia. An Italian team reported 106 primary abdominoplasties from 2014 to 2021 under tumescent local anesthesia combined with subdural (spinal) anesthesia.
The mean surgery time was 70 minutes and recovery-room time averaged 240 minutes. Major surgery-related complications occurred in 12.26% of patients (eight hematomas, five seromas), two patients had wound dehiscence, and there was no conversion to general anesthesia. The authors concluded the technique was safe and effective.
Plain talk: a 12% major-complication figure shows why we do not call any approach risk-free, and why this is a conversation to have with your surgeon and anesthesiologist. A spinal is also a different anesthetic from simple awake local; your anesthesiologist will explain which options suit you.
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References
- Tettamanzi M, Sanna C, Liperi C, et al. Outcomes of abdominoplasty in tumescent local anesthesia combined with subdural anesthesia. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2024;361-368. PMID 38129353