Tumescent abdominoplasty: an ambulatory office procedure

Abdominoplasty has traditionally been a procedure that has been performed in a hospital setting, usually with an overnight stay, particularly when full rectus plication has been part of the operative procedure. With the development of office-based operating rooms and improved office anesthesia, the ability to perform more extensive surgery outside the hospital is now possible. Additionally, the cost savings of office-based surgery compared with noncontrolled hospital charges makes it much easier for patients to plan the exact charges that they will encounter. Experience with the tumescent technique for liposuction has demonstrated to the plastic surgeon that extensive surgery can be performed with minimal postoperative discomfort. The tumescent technique has also been used to perform miniabdominoplasty [1]. By using this technique in patients undergoing full abdominoplasty, this procedure can be performed in the office with minimal blood loss and almost no need for pain management in the early postoperative period, and the patients can be discharged home within 3 h of the completion of the procedure.