Tumescent liposuction vs. Liposuction surgery

Liposuction has become the most commonly performed cosmetic procedure in the United States. Since it was first introduced in the United States in the early 1980s, many refinements have been made. The most significant improvement was the use of a diluted local anesthetic instead of general anesthesia. This... more

I fully understand your confusion.  But it will not last much longer. In the very early days of Suction Assisted Lipectomy  or Lipoplasty (SAL), in the early 1970's, the suction tubes were pushed into the fatty areas and with a high vacuum the fat was pulled into the tubes and removed. The... more

Tumescence is not liposuction at all but a preparation of the fat for removal used in almost all cases. The technigque involves filling the fat with a dilute solution of lidocaine (an anesthetic) and epinephrine (to reduce bleeding and bruising). It also makes passage of the liposuction cannula (the tube that... more

Tumescent liposuction is the gold standard or traditional liposuction.  It involves infiltrating the tissues with tumescent solution which is normal saline or lactated ringers with added epinephrine and sometimes local anesthetic.  In my opinion this is still the best, time tested, method of... more

With all the marketing out there for different liposuction techniques, your confusion is very understandable. First, ALL liposuction techniques are surgical procedures.  Therefore, for your safety, it is critical to check the credentials of your surgeon and their board certification... more

Tumescent technique is used for almost all liposuction, and has been for a quite some time. 'Tumescent technique' essentially means that a saline solution containing epinephrine (and usually a local anesthetic such as lidocaine) is injected into the areas to be suctioned, so that the blood vessels in the fat... more

Most plastic surgeons will utilize a 'tumescent' technique for liposuction. By definition, a 'tumescent' technique indicates that one is infusing roughly 3 cc's of a dilute anesthetic fluid into the subcutaneous/fatty tissues prior to removing 1 cc of fatty tissue.  Most plastic surgeons will uitlize... more

Liposuction, or suction assisted lipectomy, is a safe procedure when performed by an experienced plastic surgeon.  Never compromise on credentials when it comes to liposuction. The tumescent technique minimizes the amount of blood loss by the administration of an anesthetic solution with epinephrine. This... more