Tumescent liposuction is a technique that provides local anesthesia to large volumes of subcutaneous fat and thus permits
liposuction
Liposuction, or simply lipo, is a type of fat-removal procedure used in plastic surgery. Evidence does not support an effect on weight beyond a couple of months and does not appear to affect obesity-related problems. In the United States, lipo ...
.
While the suctioned fat cells are permanently gone, after a few months overall body fat generally returned to the same level as before treatment.
This is despite maintaining the previous diet and exercise regimen. While the fat returned somewhat to the treated area, most of the increased fat occurred in the abdominal area. Visceral fat - the fat surrounding the internal organs - increased, and this condition has been linked to life-shortening diseases such as diabetes, stroke, and heart attack. Edit per the cited journal, the difference in visceral fat between control and intervention group was NOT significant
Technique
The tumescent technique for liposuction provides for local anesthesia via
lidocaine
Lidocaine, also known as lignocaine and sold under the brand name Xylocaine among others, is a local anesthetic of the amino amide type. It is also used to treat ventricular tachycardia. When used for local anaesthesia or in nerve blocks, lidoca ...
, eliminating the need for the administration of
sedatives or
narcotics
The term narcotic (, from ancient Greek ναρκῶ ''narkō'', "to make numb") originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with numbing or paralyzing properties. In the United States, it has since become associated with opiates ...
during surgery.
Risks
A review published in 2011 stated tumescent liposuction was safe.
During the first decade of the treatments use, deaths were reported with the treatment as the cause of death, dating back to 1999.
By 2002, 23 deaths in five years had been reported in the European literature.
[ Tierney ''et al'' (2011) said, "The most frequent complications were bacterial infections such as necrotizing fasciitis, gas gangrene, and different forms of sepsis. Further causes of lethal outcome were hemorrhages, perforation of abdominal viscera, and pulmonary embolism."][
In many U.S. states, physicians are not required to have training to perform this cosmetic surgery procedure.
]
History
Jeffrey Klein and Patrick Lillis, dermatologic surgeons, invented the tumescent technique.Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
in the early 1990s, with Daniel Lanzer named as one of the first to use the procedure in the country.
See also
* Breast reduction plasty
Reduction mammoplasty (also breast reduction and reduction mammaplasty) is the plastic surgery procedure for reducing the size of large breasts. In a breast reduction surgery for re-establishing a functional Cleavage (breasts), bust that is propo ...
References
{{Reflist
External links
Liposuction
at the Open Directory Project
Tumescent liposuction - overview
a
Medscape Reference
Tumescent liposuction
at th
National Institutes of Health
Cosmetic surgery
Plastic surgical procedures