Liposuction with local anesthesia or general? What is better?

Question

What are the differences (both good and bad) between liposuction with general anesthesia vs local anesthesia? Price? Pain? Recovery? Risk? Time? Results?

Ryan Neinstein, MD, FRCSC · Answer

Thanks for the question, this a complex issue. To simplify I use local anesthetic and numbing solution in small liposuction cases in patients who are not anxious about surgery. It does help keep the cost down a bit but not much more than $1000. The key aspect of doing it that way is the quick recovery because the patient does not have to flush out all the anesthesia medications. That being said the majority of liposuction cases are larger and require more anesthesia to make patients comfortable

Rajat Gupta, MD, MS, DNB · Answer

It depends upon
what areas of liposuction and what amount of fat you are looking to get
removed. If you are looking at small areas like love handles or neck, these
areas can be done under a local anesthesia. However if you are looking at large
areas or large amount of fat to be extracted, general anesthesia is best for
that. No two doubts about that.

Dhaval M. Patel, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Liposuction under general or local anesthetic depends on a few different factors. It depends on the length of surgery, where you are taking fat from and amount of fat. The best thing to do is have a plastic surgeon see you in person so they can evaluate you more thoroughly to see what would be best for you. Best of luck!Dhaval M. Patel Double Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Hoffman Estates Barrington Oakbrook Chicago Orland Park

Edwin C. Pound, III, MD · Answer

I find it easier on both me and the patient to do liposuction under general anesthesia unless only one small area is involved.  In my experience doing liposuction under local anesthesia, the patient anticipates that it will hurt and thus is hyper-alert to anything that might cause discomfort.  They jump up on the table, grab the sides, grit their teeth and say, "Okay, let's go!"  As soon as I do anything, they start to complain that they can feel it.  As a result, I tend to slow down, get more conservative, and not get as much fat out as I might if they were asleep.  In reading reviews of places that do liposuction strictly under local anesthesia, patients are generally unhappy with their results.  It may be cheaper to do the surgery under local anesthesia but I don't think the results are as good as I can get under general anesthesia.

Kerry Owens, MD · Answer

This is a great question, as there are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches.  Ultimately I see patients as falling into one of two categories: those who must have general anesthesia, and those who may choose either general or local anesthesia for their liposuction procedure.  In my practice, I offer both standard liposuction and laser liposuction in my accredited office operating suite and can safely and comfortably perform liposuction for select patients who wish to have it done without a general anesthetic, however if there are multiple areas or larger volumes to be treated, patients must consider a general anesthetic or multiple procedures to limit the risks.  If I believe that a particular area or combination of areas will simply not be well tolerated in the office surgery setting under local anesthesia, then I strongly recommend use of a general anesthesia so that results are not compromised by patient discomfort.  Ultimately the goal is safe surgery with as great a degree of comfort as possible, in consideration of cost.  General anesthesia is more costly, but if it allows for your goals to be met with a single operation and downtime it may be the best choice in the end. To break it down:Price will generally be less with local anesthesia techniques.Pain after the procedure is generally the same, but as you may imagine there is more awareness of the procedural pain if you are under local anesthesia only vs general.Recovery should be very similar, although there is some argument that we are gentler when patient is under local anesthesia and this may result in slightly easier recovery.Risk of general anesthesia is greater overall, however we use more local anesthesia medicine for a comparable procedure without sedation or general anesthesia and there is a limit to the total dose, so the specific risk of medication dosing may be greater under local, especially when larger or multiple areas are treated.Surgical time is shorter for comparable areas when performed under general anesthesia.Results should be similar, although there is a risk of limiting result if a patient is unable to tolerate treatment under local anesthesia so careful discussion of your comfort level and anxiety is important.Talk it over with your surgeon in detail and you will be better able to make the choice that is right for your situation and goals.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

General anesthesia allows for more fat removal and body shaping. For best results with liposuction, I recommend a hi definition procedure like VASER liposuction. I use VASER HI DEF with ThermiRF and fat grafting to get the most fat removal, skin tightening, contour and definition. This combination will give you the most toned result. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with a hi definition physique expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Donovan Rosas, MD · Answer

Liposuction can safely be performed under local, sedation or general anesthesia. This decision is based upon patient preference and physician comfort. Some patients may be more anxious and will not tolerate local anesthesia alone as well as a more stoic patient. There is also some consideration given to physician preference and patient safety. Some procedures may be better suited to general anesthesia (if there will be airway concerns) than others. One is not necessarily more risky than the other. However, inappropriate pairing of procedure, patient and anesthesia can complicate things.Recovery too, will vary with procedure, practitioner, and patient. Generally, local and sedation will yield faster recoveries as inhaled agents will typically take longer to clear relative to local anesthetic alone.With regards to pricing, this will vary from one practitioner to the next.As always, discuss your concerns with your board certified plastic surgeon (ABPS).

Brian A. Pinsky, MD, FACS · Answer

This is a very common question many prospective patients have.  Liposuction can be performed safely in different ways, and the answer depends on surgeon preference and the tolerance of the patient.  I prefer general anesthesia for most cases other than small, localized areas or touch-ups from other procedures.  My patients are generally more comfortable with anesthesia, especially when multiple areas are treated such as the abdomen, flanks, and thighs. It is best to visit a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your options.  Best of luck!

David Dellinger, DO, FACOS · Answer

Typically most patients can tolerate liposuction under local anesthesia with some oral sedation. There are a few caveats - I generally don't recommend this technique if large volumes or multiple areas are being treated. Also, while most people tolerate the procedure without any problems, there are some patients who are are mentally comfortable with this level of anesthesia. Those patients would do better with IV anesthesia or in some cases general anesthesia, although general is probably more than most patients need. Your plastic surgeon should give you the option of anesthesia choices and discuss the best one for you.

Liposuction with local anesthesia or general? What is better?

Answers (9)

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