Tumescent Local Anesthesia: A Systematic Review of Outcomes
Authors: Liu Yu , Lyengar Sanjana , Schmults Chrysalyne D , Ruiz Emily S , Besaw Robert , Tom Laura K , Vestita Michelangelo Giovanni , Kass Jason , Waldman Abigail H 
Published: August 2020

IMPORTANCE

Tumescent local anesthesia (TLA, whereby anesthesia is achieved by injection of a highly diluted solution of local anesthesia into skin and subcutaneous tissues) is a technique for delivering anesthesia for superficial surgical procedures. TLA obviates the need for general anesthesia or intravenous sedation in most cases. Pain control and TLA-related complications are key factors in determining the success of TLA.

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a systematic review of the English medical literature’s data regarding pain control and TLA-related complications in TLA surgical cases to determine its efficacy and safety

EVIDENCE REVIEW

The review was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA). Searches of both the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were performed. Articles using 10-point quantitative scales were included in the pain analysis. Complications were tabulated from cohort studies, case series, and case reports. A total of 184 articles cotaining reports of 71,483 surgical procedures met inclusion criteria, including 43 with pain outcomes and 141 reporting complications.

FINDINGS

Liposuction procedures were associated with relatively low degree of both intraoperative pain (10-point visual analog scale 1.1 ± 2.1) and post-operative pain (0.53 ± 0.44) and the fewest complications (1.2%). The highest intra-operative and post-operative pain was reported in facial/cleft-lip surgery (3.7 and 3.99, respectively), while mastectomy was associated with highest post-operative complication risk (20.8%). There were 8 reported cases of death unlikely related to TLA: pulmonary embolus (4 cases), complications related to concurrent general anesthesia (2 cases), hemorrhage, and visceral perforation. There were 5 reported cases of death related to TLA (lidocaine/bupivacaine toxicity in 4 cases and one case of fluid overload) during its development when optimal dose and volume parameters were being established. There have been no TLA-associated deaths reported in the 33,429 cases published since 2003.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This systematic review demonstrates TLA to be a safe and effective anesthetic approach. Its low-cost and rapid patient recovery warrant further studies of cost-reduction and patient satisfaction. Expanded education of TLA techniques in surgical and anesthesia training programs may be considered to broaden patient access to this anesthetic modality for cutaneous and subcutaneous surgical procedures.

Key Points

Question

Is TLA an effective and safe local anesthetic technique for pain management during surgical procedures?

Findings

In this review of 157 publications, TLA was a safe and effective anesthetic approach. The least pain and fewest complications were in liposuction procedures. The highest postoperative complication risk was with mastectomy. Though five TLA-related deaths were reported in early liposuction cases, there have been no deaths in the 33,429 TLA cases published since 2003.

Meaning

TLA is an effective and safe anesthetic technique which enables cutaneous and subcutaneous surgery to be performed in office-based settings with high safety and low cost.