Lidocaine has become a common additive to liposuction wetting solutions, even for liposuction conducted under general anesthesia. Recent focus on the morbidity associated with liposuction has prompted a review of this practice. The analgesic requirements of patients undergoing liposuction of multiple sites under general anesthetic, with and without a lidocaine-containing wetting solution, were reviewed. The results suggest that while lidocaine does provide a reduction in analgesic requirements, this reduction is small, is readily compensated for by oral analgesics, and may not balance the potential risks associated with lidocaine.
