local tumescent anesthesia

Local tumescent anesthesia is a technique for delivering local anesthesia by infiltrating large volumes of a very dilute solution of local anesthetic (most commonly lidocaine), vasoconstrictor (epinephrine), and often sodium bicarbonate into subcutaneous tissue until it becomes swollen and firm (tumescent). This method was originally developed for liposuction but is now widely used in various surgical procedures including dermatologic surgery, vascular surgery, breast surgery, burn care, and plastic surgery. The mechanism of action involves direct nerve blockade by the local anesthetic at the site of infiltration. Epinephrine induces vasoconstriction to minimize blood loss and prolongs the effect of lidocaine by slowing its systemic absorption. Sodium bicarbonate reduces injection pain by buffering the acidic solution. The slow absorption from subcutaneous tissue allows higher total doses with reduced risk of systemic toxicity compared to traditional infiltration techniques[1][2][3][4][5].

Other names

tumescent anesthesiatumescent local anesthesiaTLAtumescent technique