Risks

[johngarrett]

Hi,

 

I am considering a HT procedure, however there is one risk I am concerned about which seems to never be discussed by surgeons, and that's possibilities of death.

 

During research I found there was one recent case where a gentleman died from an overdose of the anesthesia used called lidocaine. This is the same local anesthesia used for liposuction, where in further research, I've found that there have been 5 documented cases of death as a result of this anesthesia.

 

Is this risk common, as I have only been able to find the one occurrence when doing my research.

 

Thanks in advance!

[hoose]

johngarrett,

 

death from a HT surgery should be the least of your worries; there is a greater risk that you would die in a car accident traveling to your HT destination than from the surgery itself.

[Dr. William Lindsey]

John

 

If you are doing research and found only 5 cases of liposuction death attributed to lidocaine, your search is not complete. But Lipo and hair procedures are VERY different.

 

Your doctor should not offer you the procedure if you aren't reasonably healthy. If you have a bad heart etc, get a medical clearance and make sure your doctor understands these issues.

 

Second, lidocaine toxicity is real, but doses generally used in hair procedures are way below those kind of levels.

 

Figuring a typical male weighs 180#, with our usual mixture of lidocaine I can inject a healthy person with 8 or 9 syringe-fulls before I have to worry.

 

In 13 years, and all of the hair cases that I have done, and all of the facelifts and reconstructions that I have done, I don't recall ever going over 4 syringes spread throughout the entire procedure.

 

Now body lipo is a different story and large volumes are used with much higher risks not just limited to lidocaine.

 

So ask your doctor about these issues, but if you are healthy, your risk is minimal. Not zero, but minimal. DHoose's statistic is probably not far off.

 

Dr. Lindsey McLean VA

[bverotti]

Second, lidocaine toxicity is real, but doses generally used in hair procedures are way below those kind of levels.

 

 

 

Dr. Lindsey McLean VA

 

I have a question for dr. Lindsey.

 

I have seen pictures in the past where patients are doing BHT, arms, legs, breast - stomach area SIMOULTANIOUSLY with teams of up to 8 extractors.

I assume massive doses of lid. must be used (or some other medicin).

What is your opinion on this ?

[Dr. William Lindsey]

Often with large volume liposuction, fairly dilute lidocaine is placed, mixed with lots of saline, to tumesce the fat; which is then aspirated with the patient under anesthesia.

 

That is very different from hair anesthesia dosages and the risks are therefore very different as well.

 

WHL

[Marko Ramius]

So I don't know much pharmacology right now (school starts in about two weeks, and they'll hit me with it then), but how the hell is lidocaine toxicity a problem? The liver chews that stuff up so fast its ridiculous. Maybe I could see it as an issue in a cirrhotic or someone with hepatitis or something, but it seems like it would take a shit ton of lido to really cause any problems.

 

What about the epinephrine used in the lido for vasoconstriction? I'd think that would be more of an issue, maybe in pts with cardiac history.