Tumescent Anesthesia for Hair Transplantation

Abstract

Tumescent local anesthesia has developed into a widely accepted technique applicable to a variety of scalp surgeries. This innovative use of large volumes of dilute lidocaine and epinephrine provides consistent anesthesia and enhanced vasoconstriction. Both are superior to that afforded by commercially available anesthetic formulations. For hair transplantation, anesthesia is administered with less discomfort in both the donor and recipient areas. Decreased bleeding makes a variety of surgical techniques more precise. In scalp reduction surgery, there is an immediate tissue expansion effect and hydrodissection, both enhancing the amount of bald scalp removed. Although invented originally for liposuction, tumescent local anesthesia has become an important advance for surgical procedures for baldness.