Tumescent Liposuction - What is it and why is it so effective?
Tumescent liposuction is widely used around the world as one
of the safest and most effective types of liposuction techniques. The word tumescent
is literally defined as “
becoming swollen; swelling” and the
reason this type of liposuction is called tumescent is that a volume of fluid
is injected into the fat beneath the skin, causing the treatment area to become
swollen and literally, tumescent. The fluid and the subcutaneous fat are then removed,
via suction.
The reason tumescent liposuction was such a
leap forward for the industry and remains so popular today, is that it removed
the need for general anesthetic. Prior to the development of this technique,
patients had to be put under general anesthesia before they could undergo the
procedure. Additionally, traditional liposuction caused bleeding and bruising
beneath the skin, which created a lengthy recovery time. The solution to this
problem was the development of the tumescent fluid, which is made up of diluted
lidocaine and epinephrine. The lidocaine acts as a local anesthetic, which
numbs the area being treated and means that patients no longer have to undergo
general anesthesia to be treated, which is substantially safer and less costly.
The epinephrine acts as a capillary constrictor, and by doing so, reduces blood
loss and bruising beneath the skin, which speeds up healing time and also
reduces swelling.
Tumescent liposuction also typically calls
for the use of micro cannulas, which are much smaller than the cannula’s used
in other types of liposuction. These smaller cannulas allow for more precise
work through a more controlled and gradual removal of fat which offers improved
contouring during the liposuction procedure. One of the pitfalls of
inexperienced or poor liposuction doctors is that they remove too much fat from
the patient, or that they remove fat in an uneven and non-uniform manner,
leaving bumps or skin depressions and other irregularities.
Finally, the benefits of tumescent liposuction
stay with the patient during post operative care. The lidocaine stays in the
patient’s system for up to 24-36 hours, which offers pain relief without the
need of stronger pain medication or narcotics. Also, by using “adits” or other
small holes in the skin, and compression garments with super absorbent padding,
the remaining tumescent fluid gradually drains from the patient without the
need for sutures, and creating substantially less bruising. Healing time is
much faster than with prior methods of liposuction.
Tumescent liposuction was a major advance in
the industry when it was introduced in the 1980’s which is why is has become
and maintained its popularity. It is a safe and effective liposuction technique
that facilitates excellent results for the patient.
