What kind of anesthesia is typically used for a BBL? (Photo)

Thank you for your question. General anesthesia is the best method to perform BBL surgery. During the procedure there are multiple position changes and it's an overall better experience for the patient to be under general anesthesia. Of course, opinions on this vary between surgeons. Congratulations on your upcoming surgery.

Hello, I appreciate the time you are spending researching this procedure.  

There are pluses and minuses to each type of anesthesia.  All types of standard anesthesia are safe.  In my opinion, I think 360 liposuction and fat grafting is best tolerated when you are sleeping.   

If you have any further questions/comments/concerns please reach out.  Otherwise, I wish you the best of luck!

Sincerely, 

Matthew J. Nykiel MDReal Self Top DoctorReal Self Core DoctorButt Augmentation SpecialistBoard Certified Plastic Surgeon

General anesthesia is the best option for this procedure, congratulations on your upcoming surgery you seem to be a great candidate for it,best of luck!

Thank you for your question and photos. You are an excellent candidate for a BBL with VASER Hi Def Lipo. I believe you should base your choice on the technical and artistic ability of your surgeon and go with the anesthesia he/she recommends. I, personally, do these surgeries in my private certified office operating suite under intravenous sedation and tumescent anesthesia only. I do not use general anesthesia and local anesthesia is just not adequate for the aggressive sculpting I do. See a board certified plastic surgeon experienced in advanced body sculpting techniques for an in person consultation/evaluation.

General anesthesia is used, in general, for liposuction and fat transfer procedures. Seek a plastic surgeon who performs hundreds of these procedures, has great reviews and photos, and is an expert in this field.

Most plastic surgeons rely on general anesthesia for major liposuction and fat transfer.

I personally switched to avoiding General Anastasia and use local anesthesia with mild sedation.



I did this five years ago when I began focusing my practice exclusively on only liposuction and fat transfer.



It is technically much easier from the surgeons perspective to put patients asleep under General Anastasia.



Relying on local Anastasia requires patience and very meticulous approach.



My first hundred cases without general anesthesia had a handful that were a bit challenging.



After having done close to 3000 awake liposuction/fat transfer cases I will not go back and use General Anastasia except for unusual circumstances.



During my training I'll patients were given general anesthesia for these procedures.



For the first 10 years of my practice I was under the belief that awake liposuction was barbaric and inappropriate.



Then I A couple of colleagues who mentored me and taught me how to properly get patients comfortable with local anesthesia.



The advantages of avoiding general anesthesia are many.



By far the biggest advantage in my opinion it's improved results.



The ability to have my patients move on the operating table during the procedure is invaluable.



Patient can lay on their side their stomach, they're back and hold certain positions not possible under general anesthesia.



Remember we're working with straight instruments on curved bodies.



Gravity also changes the way tissues look when people are laying on the table compared to one standing up.



I do not suggest you choose your plastic surgeon based on the type of anesthesia they use but rather their overall experience, talent and proven track record of results.



I would also avoid any temptation to ask the surgeon to use a different form of anesthesia and what they're accustomed to or prefer using.



My guess is you will get about 10 responses to your post with the great majority of recommending General Anastasia.



My guess is if all those doctors had experience doing these procedures without general anesthesia their answers would also be quite different.



Best,



Mats Hagstrom M.D.

For smaller BBL's in which only one or two areas of liposuction is performed, it is possible to have the  procedure preformed under local anesthesia with sedation.  However, in most cases, in which multiple areas of liposuction is preformed, most plastic surgeons, including myself, would recommend general anesthesia with an anesthesiologist being present.  Having an anesthesiologist present should result in the greatest degree of safety and allow the surgeon to concentrate on your surgery.  Best wishes, Dr. Lepore.