Cigarette burn after tumescent anesthesia and intravenous sedation: a case report

The tumescent anesthetic technique is widely used in cosmetic surgery. It is a safe technique and is easily administered in an outpatient setting. Tumescent anesthesia tends to have a prolonged duration of action, which can be a cause of patient morbidity, especially where intravenous sedation is also used.

To report a case in which a patient fell asleep while smoking a cigarette not long after having tumescent anesthesia for liposuction. The cigarette fell onto an anesthetized area of the patient's thigh, resulting in a third-degree burn. The patient was not aware of the burn because of skin anesthesia from the tumescent anesthetic solution and residual intravenous sedation and tiredness. There was delay in reporting the burn because it was not painful and because there was no significant damage to the compression hosiery worn by the patient.

The importance of advising patients in postoperative instruction information literature to avoid contact with hot objects, including hot drinks and smoking, after local anesthesia and sedation is emphasized.