Lower Lidocain Concentration: A simple way to enhance safety

Objectives: Minimizing the lidocain load during tumescent liposuction performed totally under local anesthesia. Methods: Following safety guidelines the maximum dose of 55mg lidocain per kg was maintained. This gave limitations to the number of areas treated in one session. Initially tumescent solution concentrations of 0.075 to 0.1% lidocain were used. Since then we have been searching for methods to decrease the total dosage of lidocain.

Results: Different methods have been effective in lowering the lidocain dose. Today the concentration is lowered to 0.04%, where we can still work using local anesthetic without any additional intravenous sedation. Conclusions: Proper use of the tumescent technique, putting the patient at ease, and the use of vibration cannulas are several factors that make it possible to perform liposuction totally under local anesthesia with a lidocain concentration of 0.04% in the tumescent solution.