1,000 Consecutive Cases of Laser-Assisted Liposuction and Suction-Assisted Lipectomy Managed With Local Anesthesia

Advances in suction-assisted lipectomy (SAL) include improved instrumentation, better understanding of fluid dynamics, and an improved concept of appropriate indications. The tumescent technique uses subcutaneous injection of isotonic fluid containing vasoconstrictive and analgesic agents and is proved to be safe, with low morbidity and mortality rates. Laser-assisted liposuction (LAL) using local infiltration of an anesthetic and no general anesthesia or sedation has been developed, with claims of fat destruction and skin tightening. This study aimed to review 1,000 consecutive cases of LAL and SAL performed with the patient under local anesthesia and to determine whether this represents a safe technique with few complications.

During a period of 22 months, 581 consecutive patients (486 females and 95 males) underwent 1,000 LAL/SAL operations, 545 of whom had multiple procedures performed. None of the patients had a body mass index (BMI) higher than 30 kg/m². The patients ranged in age from 18 to 62 years. The fat aspirate ranged from 50 to 1,400 ml. Patients were given an oral sedative, an antibiotic, and an analgesic. Ringer’s lactate solution containing lidocaine and epinephrine was injected into the subcutaneous space. The 1,064-nm and/or 1,320-nm neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser was used for laser lipolysis followed by SAL using standard and/or power-assisted liposuction (PAL) cannulas. The treated areas included the neck, triceps, male breast, midback, flanks, axilla, abdomen, mons pubis, thighs, presacrum, and knees. No patient was administered intravenous sedation or general anesthesia.

The average number of areas treated was 1.8, and no major complications or mortalities were observed. There were three burns, two infections, one hematoma, and one seroma. A total of 73 secondary procedures were performed (7.3%). No tertiary procedures were required.

For appropriately selected patients, comparable results can be obtained with an excellent safety profile and short recovery period using LAL and SAL with the patient under local anesthesia. The awake patient is able to participate in body positioning and to provide physiologic monitoring. No major complications occurred in this series. The burn and hematoma complications occurred in the first 25 cases and may have been related to a learning curve. One case of cellulitis occurred in the triceps region, and a second infection occurred in the abdomen. Both responded to antibiotics. Altogether, 73 touch-up procedures (7.3%) were performed. The amounts of fat removal were comparable with the volumes obtained using traditional liposuction. In conclusion, this series demonstrated that LAL/SAL using local anesthesia is a safe procedure for selected patients, with acceptably low morbidity and revision rates.

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