Transdermal Technology of Local Anesthetics in Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery

Intraoperative anesthesia can be divided into general anesthesia and local anesthesia according to the distribution of anesthetic drugs, and local anesthesia has broad applications in plastic surgery. The short acting time and poor lipid solubility of local anesthetics on conventional dosage limit their application in transdermal delivery. In recent years, there has been rapid developments in the topical analgesic transdermal delivery system, through which a drug penetrates the cuticle of the skin and enters the dermis to block the introduction of nerve terminal pain, so as to achieve the analgesic effect. In addition, transdermal administration can significantly increase safety and patient comfort compared to injectable administration. In this review, the commonly used methods of promoting transdermal absorption and topical analgesics on the market were overviewed, and the application and future direction of anesthetics in plastic and cosmetic surgery were prospected based on the research progress.