Plastic and reconstructive surgery
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Plast. Reconstr. Surg. · Jun 1996
Lidocaine and epinephrine levels in tumescent technique liposuction.
The safety of lidocaine dosing in the tumescent technique has been well documented, but there is little evidence regarding the safety of combining tumescent lidocaine infiltration with subcutaneous lidocaine infiltration required in other aesthetic surgery. The safety of lidocaine and epinephrine dosing was investigated in 10 patients undergoing tumescent technique liposuction alone and in 10 patients undergoing tumescent liposuction with concurrent facial and aesthetic breast surgery by determining serum lidocaine and epinephrine levels at 3, 12, and 23 hours following infiltration of the tumescent solution and the subcutaneous lidocaine. ⋯ The peak epinephrine levels occurred at the 3-hour blood draw and were approximately four times physiologic. No patient demonstrated any subjective or objective signs of lidocaine or epinephrine toxicity.