Lidocaine Toxicity

Hi.  At the above dosage what is the probability of lidocaine toxicity from tumescent liposuction? When will peak levels of lidocaine occur?  How long does it take to clear the above drugs?

[Alison L, RPh]

Tumescent liposuction is much safer than traditional liposuction in terms of complications and healing rates.  Lidocaine has a very narrow therapeutic index which means that there is a small window between a safe amount of lidocaine and a toxic amount.  The risk of lidocaine toxicity depends on the peak amount in the blood.  The peak level in the blood depends on both the actual dose, as well as the patient’s rate of systemic absorption and elimination.  During research I found very few reported cases of deaths due to lidocaine toxicity in patients undergoing tumescent liposuction.  Only highly trained anesthesiologists are able to work with these types of drugs in surgery.  The drug is cleared from your system in about 3-4 hours.