Liposuction: contemporary issues for the anesthesiologist

Liposuction is a procedure that has emerged over the last 30 years as a method to remove subcutaneous fat for cosmetic purposes. Numerous liposuction techniques have been developed and the purpose of this article is to examine one such technique: "tumescent liposuction." Tumescent liposuction involves using large volumes of dilute local anesthetic and epinephrine to facilitate anesthesia and decrease blood loss. Questions remain about the appropriate dose of local anesthetic, the use of general anesthesia in liposuction, and the setting in which the chosen liposuction method is used. This article also attempts to shed light on this burgeoning field.