Non-Anesthesia Liposuction

Conveniently located to serve Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland

If you have stubborn fat you can’t seem to get rid of, no matter how much you diet and exercise, liposuction at our Columbus, Ohio, office is a foolproof solution. Here are some frequently asked questions about liposuction that may be able to help you determine whether or not it is the best option for you:

At the Columbus Institute of Plastic Surgery, your satisfaction is our top priority. We provide personalized care with Dr. Shah, experiences staff, and 24/7 surgeon accessibility to ensure you feel supported before, during, and after surgery. Let us help you transition to a new, confident you.

IS IT TRUE THAT I DON’T HAVE TO HAVE ANY ANESTHESIA FOR LIPOSUCTION?

Yes! you can have all types of liposuction with no anesthesia; however, to get the best results, you will have to choose the procedure that’s right for you and your needs.

There is a lot of marketing out there that tries to convince people that they have to have VASER liposuction or SmartLipo in order to have liposuction without general anesthesia. This is not true. All types of liposuction (traditional, VASER, SmartLipo, Power Assisted) use something called tumescent anesthesia. This is a combination of numbing medication and epinephrine to help reduce bruising. The tumescent fluid is not part of the liposuction; it’s part of the anesthesia. Beyond tumescent anesthesia, you have the following choices:

IV sedation, also known as twilight anesthesia
General anesthesia

The one you choose comes down to how much fat you would like removed. The state of Ohio puts a limit on the amount of “stuff” that can be removed during liposuction. That limit is 5,000ccs, which is equivalent to two and half bottles of 2-liter pop bottles. The “stuff” that comes out during the procedure is a mix of fat and tumescent, or numbing, fluid that was put in. This means that the higher the level of anesthesia you have, the less numbing fluid is put in, and the more fat is removed.

With tumescent fluid alone, about 3-4 pounds of fat can be removed, which is only about a quarter of the limit. The rest is tumescent fluid.
With IV sedation, or twilight anesthesia, about 6-7 pounds of fat can be removed. This is about half of the limit, and the rest that comes out is tumescent fluid.
With general anesthesia, about 9-10 pounds of fat can be removed because very little tumescent fluid needs to be used.

The choice is completely yours; you can choose any type of anesthesia, but each comes with its benefits and limitations. Call us today to learn more about these options.

Request Consult