Local Anesthesia vs. General Anesthsia

Author Rod Davis, PA-C, Director of Surgery at Pacific Lipo

Liposculpture under local anesthesia is the safest way to have liposuction. However, there are some people who may find it more uncomfortable than most other patients. I once performed a procedure on a patient who shared with me (after starting her procedure) that she always has difficulty when going to her dentist and requires multiple injections of the anesthetic to complete her dental procedures. Such people are commonly referred to as “lidocaine resistant” and may have a more comfortable experience if they were under general anesthesia (sleeping). However, general anesthesia is less safe and much more expensive. There were a handful of times when we stopped for a few minutes to add extra anesthetic during this person’s procedure but this is expected. She was still able to complete her procedure and even drive herself home afterwards. She scheduled another procedure in our office immediately afterwards. :)

Many members of our staff, including myself, have had a liposculpture (lipo) procedure. Most patients anticipate that lipo will not be a completely pain-free event for every patient but neither is laser hair removal, waxing, Botox, dental procedures, etc. So like many other procedures, one should have some expectation of momentary discomfort but most patients are pleasantly surprised.

The numbing phase tends to be the only uncomfortable part but normally just last for 5-10 minutes. Anyone can view website videos of actual patients having the same procedure that this person had but they are clearly comfortable and experiencing no pain while having their problem areas reshaped. Please visit Pacific Lipo's YouTube Channel to see patients having a procedure.

As for the incisions, we do not use stitches which allows for a couple of days of drainage (lessens swelling and bruising). Therefore, the incisions are still a little stretched immediately following the procedure. They normally heal about the size of a freckle and sometimes fade significantly but that takes some time. The incisions do shrink, bruising does fade, and the discomfort usually passes after a 2-6 weeks. To view before and photos of what incisions and results may look like immediately after our procedures (1 week later, 1 month, and several months after) , please visit Pacific Lipo's Photo Gallery.

Consultations are free and pricing is all-inclusive.  Please call a Pacific Lipo Patient Coordinator at (858) 427-8899 for details or to scheduled a complimentary consultation.