[Tumescent technique for local anesthesia. Use and prospectives of aa new anesthetic method]

The tumescent technique for local anesthesia (TLA) involves the infiltration of the subcutaneous fatty tissue with a large volume of a diluted local anesthetic. This large added volume increases the tension in the tissue, creating more favorable conditions for the action of the analgesic and for dermatological operative measures. Originally developed for use in the area of liposuction, TLA has since proved to have advantages over other forms of analgesia in numerous other dermatological indications. Overall, TLA is an effective and practical analgesic technique associated with comparatively few side effects that has been shown to be very useful in surgery of the skin.