Is Liposuction With Local Anesthesia Painful?
Liposuction is an extremely popular procedure as it is minimally invasive, can be performed under local anesthesia while the patient is awake and numbed, and contours the body while targeting areas that may be resistant to diet and exercise.
A common question we hear from patients is, “Is liposuction with local anesthesia painful?” So, let’s dive into what patients can expect to experience during awake liposuction.
What is local anesthesia?
Let’s start from the beginning. Local anesthesia simply means that only the area that will have the procedure is numbed and the patient is awake during the procedure. Whereas with general anesthesia, the patient is completely asleep and unconscious during the procedure. For procedures under general anesthesia, patients will receive medication by IV or by inhaling it and a ventilator will breathe for you.
How painful is liposuction under local anesthesia?
To put it simply, you should be pretty comfortable! Patients will be medicated and numbed, so they should experience little to no discomfort during the procedure.
Here’s what you can expect during awake liposuction:
Step 1: Oral medication
You will take oral medication before your procedure which will help you relax and alleviate pain.
Step 2: Injections to numb the area
You will be injected with lidocaine or a numbing medication using a needle to fully numb the area being worked on. This step is typically described as a little bee sting 🐝 or as a burning sensation. If we're injecting tumescent for liposuction, some patients have described this as a skin stretching sensation. The good news is that any discomfort from the numbing process is very short lived because patients quickly become numb!
What happens if I still feel discomfort during awake liposuction?
If you feel any discomfort at any point during awake liposuction, you will simply let your plastic surgeon know so they can give you more numbing medication ❤️ They will numb you until you are completely comfortable before continuing.
What Are Realistic Liposuction Results?
Great question! We highly recommend browsing our before and after gallery to get an understanding of the impact of liposuction. If you’re interested in this procedure, the next step would be to request a consultation with your preferred plastic surgeon to discuss your goals and see if you are a candidate for this procedure.
If you’re interested in booking a consultation with one of our talented awake liposuction plastic surgeons in Orlando, FL, we offer both virtual and in-person consultations where you will receive an evaluation, discuss your goals, ask any questions you may have, and then receive an exact quote along with financing information. To book your consultation, call us at (407) 377-5438 or fill out our online form here and a patient concierge will be in contact with you.