What is tumescent liposuction and do you use it?

Tumescent liposuction was developed by a dermatologist, Dr. Jeffrey Klein, in the mid-1980s. It means to use a large amount of very dilute anesthetic to tumesce, or swell, the fatty tissues. It allows for removal of fat cells while patients are awake, and it greatly decreases the amount of bleeding and complications. Currently, almost all liposuction is done using tumescent anesthetic whether the patient is awake or under general sedation.

Dr. Reichel does liposuction using the tumescent technique.