Cosmetic surgeons should re-evaluate the safety of a popular fat-removing
procedure, say researchers in New York. Tumescent liposuction, which involves
pumping a fat-busting solution containing the local anaesthetic
lidocaine—also known as lignocaine—under the skin, has gained favour
in the US because it avoids the need for a general anaesthetic or blood
transfusions.
Researchers at New York City’s Poison Control Center examined nearly 50 000
coroners’ reports and found five deaths linked to the operation, possibly
because of a fatal reaction to lidocaine (The New England Journal of
Medicine, vol 340, p 1471). They fear that many more deaths are not being
reported.
