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In-office liposuction
Several advantages over conventional procedure
Liposuction, a
procedure which
removes unwanted fat from specific areas including abdomen,
hips,
buttocks, thighs, knees, upper arms,
chin, cheeks and
neck, is the most popular body redefining procedure in
America today. Much
liposuction performed by plastic surgeons occurs with
the patient under general anesthesia, because often a
number of other cosmetic or plastic procedures are
occurring at the same time. And as discussed separately,
any time anesthesia is used, not only does it raise risk,
it also jacks up the cost. (Related:
Buttock
augmentation)
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This is
leading to some surgeons developing innovative solutions
for
plastic surgery without anesthesia. For instance, Dr.
Thomas Lyons is now providing liposuction as an in-office
procedure in which the true tumescent technique (using
only local anesthesia) is not used. “When the patient is
able to
move and stand up during the liposuction
procedure, the doctor can see the
correct contours — and
the patient can tell you she’d like a little more taken
off here, and a little bit there. Under general anesthesia
when the patient is lying on a table paralyzed, it’s
harder to get liposuction right—people may have to come
back for
touch-ups, which means more hassle and the expense of
additional time in surgery,” said Lyons. |
 Benefits of in-office lipo as a separate procedure
using local anesthesia
There
is less
potential for drug interaction and fewer
complications reported with this technique than with
liposuction
under general anesthetic. The aesthetic results
obtained are also better with a diminished need to return
for touch-ups. Some of the other benefits are:
Diminished
Pain: “The local anesthesia doesn’t wear
off for 12 hours,” said
Lyons. “Patients are able
to take a break during the procedure and
have something to drink or eat. In this way the
patient’s blood sugar levels remain stable and the
patient just feels better -- more in control.”
Greater Safety: “A patient who is
awake can respond when something unusual happens,”
said Dr. Lyons. Liposuction takes time. In a
facility
time is money, so there is, at times, a rush to
complete this portion of a more complex time
consuming procedure. (Related:
Liposuction for obese kids)
Less Expense: Since the lipo is
being performed in the office there is no
“facility” fee. The fees paid are to the physician
only which makes
this a significantly less expensive procedure.
Recommended articles:
Chin liposuction
Plastic surgery cost
Liposelection
Mesotherapy versus liposuction
Myths about plastic surgery |
