The analgesic efficacy of preoperative ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block in fat harvesting from the lower abdomen under local anesthesia: A preliminary case series

Liposuction is one of the most commonly performed aesthetic surgical procedures, and it can be classified into four types according to the volume of infiltration: dry, wet, superwet, and the tumescent technique. In the tumescent technique, a large volume of diluted local anesthetic solution is infiltrated into the fat layer to facilitate anesthesia and reduce blood loss. Unlike high-volume liposuction, which usually requires general anesthesia or monitored anesthesia care (MAC), liposuction of a relatively small volume, such as a fat graft for sunken eyelids or minor correction of deformed breasts after major reconstructions, can be performed under local anesthesia [1]. No single anesthetic technique has been proven to be superior over another in liposuction. Avoiding general anesthesia or MAC helps to reduce possible morbidities of the respiratory or circulatoSeung Min Kim, Hyokyung Yoo, Byung Jun Kim