Probably the most revolutionary advance in liposuction was the introduction of the tumescent technique.  Although often referred to as the "new liposuction," this has been commonly used for many years and is almost exclusively used as the technique of choice by most plastic surgeons.  This procedure involves the injection of local anesthetic in solution, which causes a contraction of the blood vessels and significantly decreased blood loss associated with liposuction.  Even with very large volume liposuction, it is now possible to avoid blood transfusions for patients.  Patients can remain comfortable throughout the procedure but often have less nausea and drowsiness afterwards because of the lighter anesthesia.  Small suction cannulas are then inserted through very small incisions placed in inconspicuous locations (natural body creases).  The tumescent technique decreases the recovery time and, in addition, significantly improves the smoothness of the result and decreases bruising and discomfort after liposuction.   

The liposuction technique is a multi-step procedure and the tumescent is the first step in this technique. The second step is the external ultrasound.  The third step is the internal ultrasound.  The fourth step is traditional liposuction.

Most liposuction procedures require 2-5 hours to perform tumescent and both internal and external ultrasound in addition to traditional liposuction.

Additional Procedures to consider:

• Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction  (Ask about "UAL")
• Tummy Tuck