Which Kind of Liposuction is Safest? I Just Want my Saddlebags Done?

You can certainly have liposuction under sedation with local anesthesia if you have concerns about general anesthesia.  The saddle bag area can easily be treated in this fashion.  I would recommend traditional liposuction (superwet technique). You can also have power-assisted liposuction, which just makes it easier on the surgeon, not you. It's important that the surgeon suctions relatively deep to avoid any contour irregularities (indentations/divots). The type of liposuction is not as important as the surgeon who is performing the procedure.  There are many great plastic surgeons in your area, meet with a few and ask to see as many before and after photos as possible.

Best wishes,

Dr.Bruno

I believe the safest kind of liposuction is done with local anesthesia. The published evidence in the medical literature is clear that liposuction is very safe when performed with local anesthesia. Here are the important points:The safe dose of lidocaine, the local anesthesia, is well established, and there is a wide margin between the safe dose and an overdose. An allergic reaction to lidocaine is so rare, that it's considered something that just doesn't happen.General anesthesia medications are associated with adverse events that aren't always predictable; patients do have unexpected adverse events that can be life-threatening.When a person is "out" under general anesthesia, they're unable to communicate with the surgeon if they're feeling something they shouldn't be feeling. For example, a patient who is "out" may not feel the surgeon straying from the fat space and invading a part of the body where the surgeon shouldn't be. Local anesthesia makes only the fat numb and comfortable, but not the other parts of the body; it's another safety feature.When an anesthesiologist is concerned about his wife undergoing general anesthesia, that's pretty telling.