Tumescent abdominoplasty: An ambulatory office procedure

Abdominoplasty has traditionally been a procedure that has been performed i n a hospital setting, usually with an overnight stay, particularly when ful l rectus plication has been part of the operative procedure. With the devel opment of office-based operating rooms and improved office anesthesia, the ability to perform more extensive surgery outside the hospital is now possi ble. Additionally, the cost savings of office-based surgery compared with n oncontrolled hospital charges makes it much easier for patients to plan the exact charges that they will encounter. Experience with the tumescent tech nique for liposuction has demonstrated to the plastic surgeon that extensiv e surgery can be performed with minimal postoperative discomfort. The tumes cent technique has also been used to perform miniabdominoplasty [1]. By usi ng this technique in patients undergoing full abdominoplasty, this procedur e can be performed in the office with minimal blood loss and almost no need for pain management in the early postoperative period, and the patients ca n be discharged home within 3 h of the completion of the procedure.