Is Local or General Anaesthesia better for Liposuction?

"The decision to administer either local or general anaesthesia to perform liposuction is influenced by the treated areas of the body and patient's pain response!"

·       Anaesthesia-related safety concerns are one of the top priorities with a procedure such as Liposuction.

·       Compared to general anaesthesia, local anaesthesia provides much safety assurance.

·       The safer way to remove unwanted fat from areas such as the abdomen, hips, or buttocks is usually performed under local anaesthesia to avoid complications.

·       Today, liposuction patients under general or local anaesthesia both receive tumescent fluid as part of the procedure.

Initially, Liposuction was performed under general anaesthesia. These early procedures resulted in excessive bleeding, bruising, and a lengthy recovery timeline. Thanks to the modern anaesthetic technique that involves tumescent fluid as part of the operation, which minimizes the risks of complications associated with the anaesthesia. However, some key differences exist between procedures using each type of anaesthetic and what can be fulfilled with each.

The decision to administer what anaesthesia would be the best is based on several factors, such as personal preference, the patient's body goals, and budget.

Dr. Karishma Kagodu, MS, M CH., a board-certified plastic surgeon, performs Liposuction at both her locations, Kaesthetics, Indiranagar, and Kinder women's hospital, Whitefield, in Bangalore. She explains the local and general anaesthesia to make you understand the procedure more precisely.

What is Local Anaesthesia?

Patients undergoing Liposuction with local anaesthesia are awake during the whole procedure. This is because a local anaesthetic called lidocaine is used during the procedure that is applied under the skin to the treatment areas, which helps block and prevent the nerves from sending pain signals to the brain.

During awake Liposuction, most patients can easily experience the whole procedure with open eyes. They feel minimal pain and still have sensations in other parts of their bodies where anaesthesia is not administered.

The pros of Local Anaesthesia:

·       Minimal pain

·       Reduces the patient's anxiety level

·       Works well for minor lipo procedures

·       Affordable cost option compared to general anaesthesia. 

The cons of local Anaesthesia:

·       A bit painful compared to general anaesthesia

·       Involves the risk of lidocaine poisoning

·       A minimal amount of fat can be removed during the session.

·       This may cause mental and emotional discomfort for the patients.

·       This may lead to more sessions because the smaller body areas can be treated at once due to the risk of lidocaine poisoning.

·       Less amount of fat can be removed compared to general anaesthesia.

What is General Anaesthesia?

When Liposuction is performed under general anaesthesia, it is called general anaesthesia liposuction, which involves more body areas to be treated. Under general anaesthesia, patients' brains no longer respond to pain or other stimuli. A patient cannot feel anything during the procedure due to the effect of general anaesthesia, which makes the whole procedure easier and more comfortable. General anaesthesia allows a plastic surgeon to treat more body areas at once, significantly reducing the hassle associated with the procedure and overall cost.

The pros of General Anaesthesia:

·       Almost painless

·       Much less chance of lidocaine poisoning compared to local anaesthesia

·       The maximum amount of fat can be removed at once during the session.

The cons of General Anaesthesia:

·       It may result in drowsiness upon walking for a few hours

·       Costlier compared to local anaesthesia.

What to expect during Liposuction with Dr. Karishma Kagodu:

Dr. Karishma prefers to use local anaesthesia for smaller body areas and general anaesthesia when the maximum amount of fat is removed from the larger body areas. Therefore, one can get assured about the safety of the procedure, low or zero risks, and greater outcomes without unwanted complications when the procedure is performed with the expert hand of Dr. Karishma. However, getting the best results becomes easier with an affordable Liposuction cost, as anaesthesia selection is wholly and solely based on the patient's preferences, the amount of fat to be removed, the patient's body goals, and budget.

If you want to know more or looking for liposuction surgery, get in touch with Dr. Karishma Kagodu at Dr. Karishma Aesthetics at +91 8042036382, +91 9108969006, +91 7624809006 and schedule your one-on-one consultation today.