Ask Dr. Perkins – Questions about Liposuction and Anesthesia

Santa Barbara-based cosmetic surgeon and founder of Cosmetic Surgery Center, Dr. Terry Perkins, answers your questions about liposuction, face lifts, Botox Cosmetic and more. Email your questions to Dr. Perkins and look for his response in upcoming blog posts!

Q. Hi Dr. Perkins. My biggest concern with liposuction is the anesthesia. I am worried about getting an “anesthesia hangover” the days following the surgery as I think this would make my recovery harder. This is the main roadblock to getting the liposuction done. What are your thoughts on anesthesia and liposuction?

A. You have a very valid concern. I have been in the cosmetic surgery business for more than thirty years and have performed liposuction for many years using general anesthesia. We have refined our techniques now to perform all procedures comfortably using local anesthesia plus sedation. For many patients this combination is much easier, especially the day of liposuction and the day following. Without having the “anesthesia hangover”, which can include nausea and vomiting, patients find that their down time is less and I have known some patients who return to work within a few days after liposuction (sedentary jobs only). Another plus to local anesthesia plus oral sedation is that patients seem to take less post-operative medication. Typically for liposuction procedures, patients will take about a week off work to rest and recuperate.

At Cosmetic Surgery Center, we can do liposuction procedures under local anesthesia and oral sedation including those that require skin removal in the arms, inner thighs and lower abdomen. Visit Cosmetic Surgery Center’s website to see some of our “Before and After” photos of liposuction of the abdomen area, liposuction of the hips/thighs, liposuction of the neck area and liposuction of the upper arms.

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