What Type of Anaesthesia is Used for a Body Lift?

Most body lift procedures are performed under general anesthesia, however, this does not mean that you have to stay in the hospital after surgery. I perform almost all of my body contouring procedures including lower body lifts as out-patient procedures. The use of tumescent fluid during the surgery significantly cuts down on your pain after surgery and makes it much easier to go home after the procedure.

When it comes to performing a body lift, I always use general anesthesia as it's a pain-free process for the patient and can allow the surgeon to achieve optimal results. After the procedure, I usually have my patients stay at an aftercare facility for 2 nights, rather than a hospital, to ensure a comfortable and safe recovery. While general anesthesia does require some time for recovery, I always take necessary precautions to minimize any potential risks and ensure the patient's safety. It's important to have a thorough discussion with your plastic surgeon about the anesthesia used during your procedure, and any associated risks and recovery expectations. Thank you for your question, and I wish you the best of luck.

Sincerely, Dr. Katzen

I have been performing my Body Lifts exclusively under IV Sedation for the past 5 years. I use only Board Certified Anesthesiologist well trained in IV Sedation.

As is well known, the Lower Body Lift procedure can take 7-8 hours as it includes a Tummy Tuck, posterior Buttocks Lift, and an Outer Thigh Lift. Prior to 2007, I used General Anesthesia. However, after 5 years of experience with IV Sedation, I would be hard pressed to go back to General!  

With IV Anesthesia we eliminate much of the pulmonary risks associated with long cases and General Anesthesia. The risk of pulmonary embolism goes up greatly with long General Anesthesia operating room time. This does not happen with IV Anesthesia.

Additionally, patients recover much faster post operatively as they have much less nausea.  I have performed well over 100 Body Lifts in the past 5 years and no one has every had to be hospitalized. Every patient goes home or back to their hotel that night with a nurse or caretaker.

Below (web reference) is a blog post I wrote in 2009 about the different risks. I am even more convinced than I was then!

 

Ricardo Rodriguez, MD

Baltimore , Maryland