Lidocaine in ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty
Matarasso, A.
Clinics in Plastic Surgery 26(3): 431-439 VIII-IX
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0094-1298 PMID: 10549441 Document Number: 499544
The doses of lidocaine used for lipoplasty often exceed what is commonly recommended for other surgical procedures. When using these high volumes of lidocaine and wetting solutions, a variety of safety issues must be considered. The author knows of no other plastic surgery operation in which the safety of the procedure is so influenced by the medications administered. Each component of the wetting solution--the alkalized fluid, the epinephrine, and the lidocaine--has an individual and interrelated role. The absorption of lidocaine with epinephrine after subcutaneous installation for lipoplasty probably represents a unique situation, and the concepts presented should not necessarily be extrapolated to other types of procedures.