What amount of time is reasonable for time under general anesthetic (70 year old woman)?

Anything longer dramatically increases risk of complications as we have seen in the aesthetic literature. Also If someone is taking that long to perform the surgery they may not be efficient and experienced enough for you. Consider Sedation as well though I usually do deep plane facelift in 2.5 hrs general Anaesthesia.

Great question and happy to hear that you are inquiring about going under anesthesia. You mention "general anesthesia". In my practice we use a monitored sedation- not general anesthesia (think the type of sedation you receive for a colonoscopy). I would confirm that first. Second- the amount of time in my opinion has less to do with age and more about your health. Whatever you feel comfortable with will work for you. Do your research like you are and gather opinions- then make a decision that you are comfortable with. Your health is # 1

In my hands, an uncomplicated primary facelift takes about 3 hours of operative time. It's really 3 procedures: the neck (platysmplasty), one side of the face, and the other. Eight hours to perform a facelift alone is a rather long case. Even when I perform multiple procedures (upper and lower blepharoplasty, browlift, resurfacing, etc.), it is rare to exceed 6 hours. However, as long as you are healthy physiologically, a 3-6 hour case is entirely reasonable. Most of my cases are performed under deep sedation using propofol, unless there is an airway need for intubation.

The amount of time for a facelift will vary between plastic surgeons and the type of facelift/ Mini-facelifts can be done in about two hours, standard facelifts in about 3-4 hours. If additional procedures are performed, such as eyes, chin augmentation or fat transfer, this can add time. Eight hours for a facelift is acceptable, but unusual.

Hi tasteful,

Age is not the determining factor here. What is your general health like?
How much has to be done to your face? What type of techniques is your prospective surgeon discussing with you? Have had cosmetic surgery done before? What sort of anesthesiologist will you have? All these questions need to be discussed with your plastic surgeon.

Hope this helps a bit.

Best Wishes and good Luck!

Dr. Christine Rodgers

Thank you for your question. Your age in important but your general health is the most important factor to determined your risk for surgery. Are you in any meds, have your had your general physical every year etc. Also some of us don’t use general anesthesia for this procedures so what I recommend to you is to seek a consultation with a board certified Plastic surgeon to present your case.

Part of the safety equation would be your overall health now. If you were in good physical condition, with no health concerns, general anesthesia or conscious sedation for a facelift is usually extremely safe, even lasting 6 or so hours. The length of time a facelift takes is related to what needs to be done to give you your best result and your surgeons expertise. Most faceless can be accomplished between 3 to 5 hours. Getting medical clearance from your primary care doctor, having your surgery done in a fully accredited surgery center, and having your surgery done by a plastic surgeon with excellent expertise In facelifts will give you the best chance of having an excellent result in a shortened timeframe for your surgery. Best wishes.

Hello, I do not go over 5.5 hours under general anesthesia for any procedure. I can perform a facelift in 1.5 hours under local anesthesia. My office was created to accommodate in office, local anesthetic facial aesthetic procedures. If you have no other medical conditions, stable blood pressure (under 135 systolic) then you would be an 'in office' candidate as well. Good luck on your facelift journey!

A facelift can be done with different types of anesthesia, including general anesthesia, but I normally perform my facelifts using local anesthesia with IV sedation. The type of anesthesia used is usually determined by the surgeon, but as a patient, you definitely have input to that decision as well. A healthy person at the age of 70 should not have a problem undergoing general anesthesia. If only a facelift is being done, this should not take more than 4-5 hours at the most.

If you’re concerned about time under general, why not select a surgeon who uses local anesthesia? If you’re healthy enough for surgery, there should be no reason not to consider local.