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Valium, Demerol and Xanax: Too Much Medication for Blepharoplasty Surgery?

asked 2 years ago by Helen1976 in Dallas, Tx
Latest answer by Chris Thiagarajah, MD
Question viewed 1,653 times
Tags: anxiety, medication, Xanax

In consideration of Blepharoplasty surgery, my doctor suggests using a cocktail of Valium, Demerol and Xanax for the in office procedure, along with local anesthetic. Does this sound like too much of the same type of medication?

12 answers to Valium, Demerol and Xanax: Too Much Medication for Blepharoplasty Surgery?

Oral medication for blepharoplasty

I usually give patients a 10mg Valium and they do fine. It sounds a little much for my tastes but if your surgeon is comfortable with this dosage and has worked for him or her, it should be ok. You can ask for less of course!

Chris Thiagarajah, MD
Washington DC Oculoplastic Surgeon

Preoperative sedation for in-office blepharoplasty.

The combo of Valium and Xanax seems a bit weird and heavy-handed since they're both benzodiazepines. I've gotten away from prescribing Valium for in-office procedures mainly because of its long elimination half-life (20-80 hours, given its multiple metabolites). Valium has become kinda of "old school," if you will. Ativan is a reasonable choice and I like it for longer procedures (e.g., 2-ish hours), since it's got a shorter half-life than Valium and is well tolerated... more

David C. Pearson, MD
Jacksonville Facial Plastic Surgeon

Medication for Blepharoplasty

Sounds good to me. But if you are so concerned than discuss this issue with your surgeon in detail. Or until you are satisfied with his explanation. Regards.

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Blepharoplasty under local anesthesia

For upper Blepharoplasty I usually use 10mg Valium, 1 coding and the local anesthesia infiltration. This combination is more than enough to make this a painless procedure. It sounds like a lot of medication you will be getting for this procedure.

Jason B. Diamond, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Medication for in office blepharoplasty procedure

Hi Helen, This sounds like a lot of medication. Valium and Xanax are both benzodiazepines and will potentiate each other's affects - you're better off choosing just one of those medications. With this cocktail of medications, it's important that your physician's office monitor your vital signs during the procedure to ensure that you're not oversedated. Hope this helps. Best of luck.

Sam Jejurikar, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

The medication for Blepharoplasty may be too much

Dear Helen Valium and Xanax have similar effects. Demerol, although still commonly used, can cause hypotension and respiratory arrest especially in combination with other drugs. If the doses are relatively small, the combination may be safe. However, this type of cocktail is often used in office based surgery because it avoids a general anesthesia or deep iv sedation which in many states necessitates an accredited surgery center or hospital based operating room. Upper eyelid and lower... more

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD
Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon

Medication for Blepharoplasty

Hi Helen, The Valium and Xanax are similar drugs. I would suggest one or the other. We usually give our patient Xanax 1 mg and either oral Vicodan or an injection of Demerol if they prefer. Enjoy your more youthful eye lids. Good luck and be well. Dr. P

Michael A. Persky, MD
Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

Pre-medication for office procedure

Valium and Demerol I can understand but Valium and Xanax belong to the same class of medications so should not be prescribed together. In our practice, the most we would prescribe prior to a local procedure is either Valium or Xanax but not both.

Peter T. Truong, MD
Fresno Oculoplastic Surgeon

www.facialsurgerydr.com

Blepharoplasty under local sedation

For a Blepharoplasty surgery an anxiolytic such as Valium or Xanax, and an analgesic such as Demerol are usually utilized to assist with the local injection of anesthetic and can make the procedure a little more comfortable. They are for your comfort and if you would rather not have them I am sure your physician would be open to your concerns and perhaps do the surgery under straight local. Best wishes.

Charles Perry, MD
Sacramento Plastic Surgeon

Medication for eyelid surgery

The amount needed per patient is dependent on the size and sensitivity of each individual. We typically will have patients take 2mg of Ativan one hour before surgery and then use Versed throughout the duration of the surgery titrated to the responsiveness of the patient. If you are concerned with the amount suggested seek out another surgeon in your area for a second opinion.

Lee Robinson, MD
Portland Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.drleerobinson.com

Not for a local procdure

If you are going to have upper eyelid ,this combination may be too much. Please discuss your concerns with your doctor and make sure that they have back up incase of the too much sedation.

Kamran Khoobehi, MD
New Orleans Plastic Surgeon

Medications for blepharoplasty

It is not a good idea to have blepharoplasty performed in a doctor’s office. It is a sterile procedure that if not performed properly can result in disastrous consequences such as infection. Blepharoplasty surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia because of the pain associated with removing the fat pads from both the upper and lower lids, which do not numb up sufficiently with local Novocain-type medications. Valium, Demerol, and Xanax are all respiratory agents and... more