The amount of fat safely suctioned allowed; is it higher in a hospital? A surgeon with an in-house OR stated that he can remove the same amount of fat that a surgeon that uses a hospital. The surgeon that uses the hospital contradict that statement. Which is true and what is the max that can be safely removed? Hospital or in-house OR , benefits?
Both are held to the same amount when considering outpatient liposuction. the difference is when you admit the patient. Some centers and states have restrictions to outpatient centers in regards to the amount that can be removed. The only true difference as long as the in house center is fully accredited is that if there is a complication and you are in the hospital there are ICU and doctors on premise. Where as if you are in an outpatient center than you need to be transported.
Each state has different requirements and mandates regarding how much fat can be removed during a Liposuction procedure. I think it is safe to do the procedure in a hospital or in a fully accredited office-based facility depending upon the patient’s overall medical condition. Furthermore, I try to limit each session to no more than 5 L of pure fat removed at any one session.
I agree with the previous comments on this thread. For outpatient surgery, the limits will be the same, regardless of hospital or ambulatory surgery center / office OR. If you are planning on being admitted to the hospital overnight, then you can safely remove more, as you will be observed overnight for any issues that may arise.
The state of Florida has regulatory limits on the amount of fat that can be removed and requires state inspection or national accreditation of office surgical facilities. (https://www.flboardofmedicine.gov/latest-news/new-regulation-for-physicians-performing-liposuction/) The American Society of Plastic Surgeons also requires that it's members only operate in accredited facilities. Most other states do not have specific limits on liposuction amounts, but most surgeons recommend that no more than 5,000ml of fat be removed in an out-patient procedure, while higher amounts may be removed in a setting where overnight stay and more intensive monitoring are available, such as a hospital.
Large volume liposuction is not a minor procedure and should be considered carefully. Alternatives such as weight loss and staged liposuction procedures should also be entertained.