Liposuction can be performed in a private outpatient surgical facility or a hospital. Liposuction can be minimally invasive and offers fast recovery, but it is a surgical procedure, requiring high surgical safety standards. Tumescent liposuction in NYC is the safest type of liposuction. Liposuction is done using general anesthesia or local and IV sedation. The choice of either option depends on your surgeon and the extent of your surgery. For smaller areas, IV sedation, which keeps the patient awake, is quite common. Whenever appropriate, local anesthesia is generally considered safer. Microcannulas also permit smoother results, less tissue trauma and bruising. A liposuction cannula is a small tube inserted through a tiny incision to remove subcutaneous fat.