**7. Our experience with the described technique**

We have analyzed a total of the 30 most recent patients (N = 30) on whom the VASER liposuction and abdominoplasty procedures were undertaken at the Bagatin Polyclinic in Zagreb. The patients were analyzed in the 2020/2021 period. About 67% of the patients were women, and 33% were men. The surveyed group of women ranged from 19 to 51 years old, and the men varied from 21 to 61 years of age. The bodyweight of the women ranged from 46 to 110 kg and a body height from 155 to 178 cm. The bodyweight of the men ranged from 63 to 108 kg, and a height from 167 to 190 cm. Of the 30 subjects undergoing VASER liposuction and abdominoplasty, 13 were smokers of which 9 were women and 4 men, and 17 were nonsmokers, that is, 12 women and 5 men. In terms of the ASA score, 17 were categorized into Group 1, 12 into Group 2, and 1 into Group 3. All patients were recommended not to smoke 4–6 weeks prior to the operation and also the period after the procedure. The longest operation lasted 8 h and 30 min, and the shortest was 2 h.

Of the total number of subjects who required analgesics in the postoperative period, 69% receive the drug immediately and 29% in less than 10 min, and 2% had no need for analgesics. In all, 64% of the subjects who received some form of an analgesic did not report any of the examined difficulties such as tenderness and soreness, prolonged loss of sensation, difficulty with breathing, headaches, sleepiness, itchiness, or constipation. In the remaining 36% of subjects, vomiting was present.

On a scale of 1–5, as to the question of assessing satisfaction with hospitalization, 100% of the subjects provided a score of 5. Also, all 100% of subjects received directions on pain treatment immediately while being discharged.

Upon being discharged to home care, 60% of the operated patients continued to take analgesics in the period ranging from 3 to 15 days. **Figure 9** shows the number

*Fan-Shaped Application of Local Abdominal Wall Analgesia in Abdominoplasty Patients… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.100235*

**Figure 9.** *Percentage of patients taking analgesics at home.*

**Figure 10.**

*Percentage of patients and the number of days completely stopping analgesia.*

of patients who took analgesics at home, and **Figure 10** shows the number of days after completing ceasing to take analgesics.

Of the total number of operated patients, 7% said that the recommended analgesics were sufficient in overcoming pain, and 93% took medication only temporarily when experiencing stronger pain. In the period covering 10 days of home care, 20% completely ceased taking analgesics. A month after the surgical procedure, the level of pain in the subjects had significantly subsided, whereas the level of pain after three months had almost completely ceased in almost all patients.

### **8. Discussion**

The fan-shaped, local infiltration anesthesia (LIA), this technique provides a more dispersed area of anesthetic coverage. Although this technique can be more expensive due to the cost of longer-lasting local anesthetic drugs, it allows for an increased certainty that all desired areas will have adequate pain relief, with minimal breakthrough or patchiness. As presented in pain scoring and drug requirements for pain relief data, the pain scores were significantly reduced, a shorter duration of analgesia was required, and overall patient satisfaction was increased. The advantages seen with this technique are as follows: a faster, more complete analgesic spread in the operative area, less areas being missed out or untouched, reduced postoperative pain, reduced need for long-term analgesic requirements, and increased patient satisfaction. The ripple effect of these advantages leads to faster mobilization, improved and enhanced healing, a faster convalescent stage, and a return to a preoperative functioning state.
