Pharmacology

Liposuction fluid anesthetizes the skin, which allows the procedure to be performed while the patient is awake and within an office based setting. The primary active ingredient of this fluid is Lidocaine. This type of Anesthesia is very safe if given in moderate dosages.

Lidocaine is metabolized by a specific pathway within the liver after being administered in a a standard Liposuction procedure. There are many other medications that are also metabolized via this pathway. If both are in the body at the same time together, the two medications can compete for the liver's pathway resulting in higher blood levels of Lidocaine. This could result in a toxic dose of Lidocaine during a Liposuction procedure.

It is imperative that patients notify their physicians of the medications they are taking before their Liposuction surgery. If any of these medications are on the list of similarly metabolized medications as Lidocaine, then it is advisable to discontinue these medications one to two weeks prior to the Liposuction to decrease this potential problematic interaction.

Some of the medications that could potentially interact with the Lidocaine unfavorably in a Liposuction procedure include certain antidepressants such as Prozac and Zoloft, certain antibiotics such as Biaxin and Zithromax, certain high blood pressure medicines such as Inderol and Procardia, and many more. Check with your physician for a complete list.

A unique effect of the Lidocaine is that it decreases the chance of infection through a type of bacteriostatic effect of the Lidocaine. Thus, rarely do infections occur after Liposuction procedures.

Another key ingredient of the Liposuction fluid is Epinephrine. Epinephrine constricts the blood vessels within the fatty areas resulting in minimal blood loss and, again, a safer procedure profile. It also decreases the absorption of the Lidocaine into the blood stream, which results in longer lasting anesthetic effects of the Lidocaine in a Liposuction procedure.

Finally sodium bicarbonate is added to the tumescent fluid in a Liposuction procedure to decrease the stinging that so often accompanies injection of straight Lidocaine into the skin. This results in improved comfort of the patient during the Liposuction procedure.

Overall, Liposuction results in very few problems from the use of the medications utilized for the procedure. They are therefore some of the safest cosmetic surgical procedures performed under the hands of a well-trained, skilled, and experienced cosmetic surgeon.