Do I have to be put to sleep for large volumes of liposuction? (Photo)

The maximum amount of liposuction is the same for being put to sleep or not.  If more is needed procedures can be done a day a part, and this is done in my practice while awake giving very good results.  I suggest seeing someone who specializes in hi definition procedures.  Best, Dr. Emer.

A tummy tuck will flatten the tummy out the best but lipo is a great alternative and you can get the same large volume of fat out under local as you can with general anesthesia on an abdomen. But with local you tend to get better results and it is safer.You get quality work.

That is a great question.  There are many doctors and many centers who perform liposuction under conscious sedation meaning you are sleepy, but still awake. There are some benefits to conscious sedation as opposed to general anesthesia (completely unconscious).  Procedures performed under conscious sedation typically cost less because they do not require the presence of an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist, recovery time in the office is generally quicker (you wake up faster) and there is less anesthesia-associated risk.  Unfortunately, I personally find it difficult to perform large volume liposuction without general anesthesia.  Liposuction is uncomfortable and without putting my patients completely asleep I have found they are too uncomfortable to tolerate having a large volume of fat removed.  In my Atlanta area surgery center, I generally reserve conscious sedation procedures for people who only need a small treatment area or those who cannot have general anesthesia.Additionally, I suspect based on your photos that liposuction alone will not give you the flat stomach you are looking to achieve. The presence of stretchmarks on your abdomen and flanks indicates that your skin has been stretched to the point of damage.  It is unlikely that it will snap back after the fat is removed.  If you are done having children, you may wish to consider a tummy tuck to remove excess skin and repair abdominal muscles that have been damaged due to pregnancy.

Liposuction of any magnitude that covers numerous body areas is always best done under a general anesthetic. While liposuction can be done under local anesthesia in the right patient for smaller amounts of fat removal, truly large volume liposuction is best done under a general anesthetic.

I perform a lot of liposuction and I do it both under general and under local. It really depends upon the patient and their overall tolerance. Best of luck.

Hi nikki2224I am not sure if large volume lipo would be the right thing for you.  I don't know how long ago you gave birth, and what your weights pre and post partum are nor do I know your height to calculate your BMI.In general, it is possible to do lipo without general anesthesia.In your case, you may very well need lipo.  I am concerned about the ability of your skin to shrink down after lipo.  I am also concerned that your abdominal wall was stretched from pregnancy, and this will not be helped by lipo.I suggest that rather than picking a procedure that you would like to achieve your result, you get evaluated and with the guidance of your p.s., choose the correct procedure to correct the problems to achieve your results safely, and least invasively.sek

You can have liposuction under IV sedation. Local anesthesia, comparable to novacaine for a cavity, is inadequate and also means that you could move around during a procedure--neither good nor safe. You need to be examined to assess the bulge and skin tone. Liposuction could improve you, particularly the flank bulges, but for a flat abdomen, an abdominoplasty would be the procedure of choice.

Liposuction will not give you a flat abdomen. You need an abdominoplasty.High-volume liposuction can certainly be done without the use of general anesthesia. An abdominoplasty generally always requires general anesthesia. Best of luck, Mats Hagstrom, M.D.