Liposuction is considered to be one of the most popular cosmetic procedures that can effectively help patients in contouring and sculpting their body. The focus of liposuction can be in areas of the neck, abdomen, chest, flanks, hips, thighs, knees, and/or calves. The procedure offers both immediate and long term results and has a relatively quick recovery time. This is not to be confused with a weight loss alternative though some weight loss will be experienced. Liposuction is a powerful too to providing body contouring for a variety of patient’s needs. As this is a surgical process, the procedure does involve general anesthesia or IV sedation with local anesthesia to minimize pain and discomfort. In some cases when only a small area is treated local only anesthesia may be used with/without nitrous oxide. The patient has the right to discuss, and with their surgeon decide which type of sedation they feel comfortable proceeding with for his/her surgery.
Options and Side Effects
A local anesthetic is a drug that numbs a part of the body so the patient will not experience pain during a surgical procedure. They last a short amount of time, mainly used for minor outpatient procedures where the patient does not have to stay overnight or does not have muscle relaxation or need to be unconscious. General anesthesia combines different medications to put the patient in a sleep-like state before surgery. The patient’s vital functions and management of breathing are monitored by an anesthesiologist and are usually the choice of pain management with procedures that involve any lengthy surgery that will require treatment on multiple areas of the body.
Regional anesthesia requires injecting a local anesthetic near nerves to numb a portion of the body. The different types include spinal anesthesia, epidural anesthesia, and specific nerve blocks. Epidural anesthesia involves the injection of a local anesthetic into the epidural space, through either a needle or catheter and commonly used in labor and delivery and for procedures of the lower extremities. Sedation anesthesia involves using pain relievers and sedatives to minimize pain and discomfort during the procedure. Although the patient may be able to communicate, they have limited memory of the procedure.
Some of the side effects that may be involved with anesthesia include nausea and vomiting, dizziness, and impaired coordination or judgment. Patients report feeling drowsy, weak or tired several days after the procedure. Being informed, and knowing what options are available to you as the patient is a fundamental right. Professionals like Dr. Rednam will catalog all available options at the facility where she performs her liposuction procedures and she makes sure that patients are distinctly aware of all their options.
Surgery can be anxiety provoking and Dr. Rednam will help you choose the right type of anesthesia for your liposuction procedure to minimize anxiety and provide you with an excellent result.