IV Sedation Jitters For Upcoming Lipo. Is This Safe?

The safest and most comfortable surgery is under general anesthesia. However that has to be done in a hospital or in an accredited C facility. Liposuction under IV sedation needs a very experienced anesthesiologist and the ability in the facility to convert it to general anesthesia if the situation requires it. Do your due diligence.

As you read everywhere now, the trend is that liposuctions by the expert liposuction surgeons are being done under tumescent local anesthesia by itself or with a little IV sedation which works just fine and makes for a pleasant experience with a huge safety factor and faster recovery and usually better results. Many docs who still do the old fashioned lipo under gen anesthesia with big brutal canulas don't tend to know how to inject tumescent local anesthesia in a painless fashion so they tell their patients it is a painful procedure that way when just the opposite is true. Also under gen anesthesia, you can't stand the patients up or have them sit up or turn in all the positions to see and work on the lipo areas easily and meticulously to get the best results.  Don't be worried. You should have a great experience.  Sincerely,

David Hansen,MD

I routinely offer intravenous sedatkon for lipo cases and it is very safe if given by a qualified anestbesia provider in an accredited surgical facility. Remember that liposuction is surgery. I believe that IV sedation is both safer and more comfortable for the patient than local only, especially for larger cases.

Its not always about being put to sleep, but about choosing with your doctor what might be best for you,its almost about the preference and style  of how the doctor you have chosen, or choose does their procedures. For many doctors pure local anesthesia, which we call tumescence, is the way every single one of our procedures is performed, with maybe a pill to take for your nerves, ie usually ativan. but how the tumescence is done really does matter, for us BODY JET or its other name AQUA LIPO, has been great in gaining great patient comfort using pure local anesthesia without any need for IV sedation. And remember, its all about loosing the fat, so if you are afraid of the risks of liposuction whether asleep or awake, then you now have not one but two great FDA approved choices for noninvasive fat removal, ie move over liposuction, LIPOSONIX, and COOL SCULPTING.

Dear Missy,  I understand your concerns with regards to your upcoming surgery.  Liposuction can be done under a general anaesthetic, IV sedation (a neurolept anaesthetic) or just local anaesthesia, depending on the size of the area that is being treated.  At the time of your procedure, local anaesthesia and tumescent formula will be used.  Tumescent formula is a mixture of an IV fluid (ringers lactate), local freezing (xylocaine) and a medicine that decreases swelling and bruising (epinephrine).  This medicine is placed in the fat that is going to be liposuctioned and makes the procedure completely comfortable.  The neurolept is used at the beginning of the case to allow this medicine to be infiltrated without discomfort and occasionally during the procedure if you feel anxious or have any discomfort.  You will be given suplimental oxygen and all the same monitors and safety equipment will be employed during IV sedation that were used during your general anaesthetic.  Many patients find that the IV sedation is a very enjoyable experience and the recovery is even less than one experiences with the GA.  Start looking forward to your new shape.  Dr. Scott Barr