Liposuction patient.
24 Jul 2024 | by Dr. Sean Doherty
Liposuction is one of the best procedures for improving body contour. Incredibly versatile, this is a technique that can effectively reduce “pinchable” fat almost anywhere on your body. This includes the abdomen, chin, hips, buttocks, knees, and arms. Although it is a great option for healthy men and women of all ages, some patients are hesitant about scheduling liposuction as it is a surgical procedure. They are nervous about incisions, anesthesia, and recovery time, but the incisions with any liposuction procedure are so tiny that they don’t even require stitches. And there are options when it comes to anesthesia and liposuction.
Liposuction Under Local Anesthesia in Boston
Many liposuction procedures can be safely performed under local anesthesia in the office. For this type of procedure, I will give you pain medication and something to help you relax about an hour before your procedure. Then, I will inject the treatment area with a numbing medication that will prevent you from feeling anything. There are many benefits to liposuction under local anesthesia for my Boston area patients. These include:
- Shorter recovery time
- Less incidence of post-op nausea
- Fewer complications
- Often less expensive
However, not every liposuction procedure can be done under local anesthesia. It is all going to come down to how much time we’ll need in the operating room to deliver your desired outcome.
General Anesthesia Safest for Big Liposuction Procedures
In order to figure out whether or not you’re a good candidate for liposuction under local anesthesia, it is critical to schedule an in-person consultation with a body contouring expert. During our meeting, I will listen closely to what bothers you about your body before performing a thorough physical exam to assess:
- Degree of excess fat
- Type of fat (pinchable or visceral)
- Location of unwanted fat
- Skin laxity, if any
- Evaluate previous procedures
If you have a larger amount of fat to be removed and/or we are treating multiple areas of the body in one procedure, you are probably going to be a candidate for general anesthesia as it’s safer. This is because these conditions may require more time in the operating room.
To find out more about liposuction, or any other surgical or non-surgical procedure with Dr. Sean Doherty at his Boston or Brookline office, contact us today or call (617) 450-0070 to schedule a consultation.
