Do you have to be fasting before Smart Lipo under local anesthesia?

Fasting before surgery is standard practice when you are going to be asleep for your surgery. This is to prevent you from choking on your stomach contents and aspirating this material into your lungs. If you are awake, your normal reflexes prevent this from happening. In addition, if you are having local and you fast, you will most likely not be receiving intravenous fluids and you will become dehydrated and hypoglycemic which may cause dizziness or fainting.

Hi jfcolindres, thanks for your question!  No, you do not need to fast before a smart lipo procedure under local anesthesia.  Lipo under local anesthesia is becoming more common, depending on how many areas you are trying to target.  If you have more areas, or larger areas to treat, a general anesthesia may be the better option, which would require you to fast beforehand.  Additionally, smartlipo under local anesthesia may not permit as aggressive of a treatment as would smart lip under a general anesthesia when the patient is asleep.  I recommend speaking to your plastic surgeon for more information.  Best of luck! 

hello jfcolindres Liposuction can be performed in an outpatient setting such as the surgeon’s office or an outpatient surgical facility.  The procedure can last from 30mins to several hours depending on the body areas being treated.  Local anaesthesia can be used for small areas, but in the case of a larger  procedure involving several areas over several hours ,general anaesthesia will provide a more comfortable and safe experience. #local #lipo

Good question! You do not have to fast prior to your procedure. I typically tell my patients to eat a light meal prior to SmartLipo. It's okay to drink water prior but I would limit the amount so you don't have to use the restroom during the procedure. 

Thanks for the question, you dont have to fast before a local anesthetic case but we do suggest to limit intake to just some water and a very light meal (oatmeal) in order to reduce the risk of nausea

Hello,
No, you do not need to fast before smart lipo under local anesthesia. You are awake throughout the entire process. Because of this, you don't run the risk of food or liquids coming back up the esophagus during the surgery. We encourage patients to have food and drink before coming in for a procedure done under local anesthesia. 

If i am performing my procedure under local anesthesia I always encourage my patient to eat before the procedure.  If you are having the procedure done with some IV sedation then you should not eat or drink anything for 8 hrs prior to the procedure.  Ask your surgeon what the guidelines are if you are unsure.

There is no need for fasting before SmartLipo under local anesthesia. We advise our patients to eat a light meal like cereal or toast with peanut butter and jelly on the morning of the procedure and to avoid large amounts of liquids, coffee, tea or other caffeinated drinks within 4 hours of the procedure.

Hello and thank you for your question on Smart Lipo. If you are having a Smart Lipo procedure with local anesthesia, you will not need to fast beforehand. Fasting is a precaution only required for general anesthesia to eliminate the risk of releasing your stomach contents during surgery. In fact, your board certified facial plastic surgeon will likely recommend you have a small meal before your local anesthesia to avoid hypoglycemia and also to help settle your stomach. You should limit your fluid intake beforehand, however, so that you do not have to use the bathroom during your procedure. I hope this information helps you. Good luck with your lipo!- Elbert T. Cheng, MD

Fasting is only required before general anesthesia, although if your cosmetic surgeon is doing local anesthesia with IV sedation, then he or she may suggest not eating too close to your appointment time. Check with your surgeon before your procedure to see if there are any recommended steps you need to take before your Smartlipo appointment.