IV Sedation and Local Anesthesia Safe Option for Facelift?

We do all of our regular facelifts under general anesthesia combined with local. In that way the depth of anesthesia needs to be much less. We also like to be able to control the airway.
For mini lifts in some patients, I will do them strictly under local after they have taken oral valium. If I use IV anesthesia I ALWAYS have it done by an anesthetist since I only want to focus on my job, not two.

I have performedwell over 2,500 facelifts under local anesthesia with oral sedation for thepast ten years. Without doubt it is safe and well tolerated by patients.Compare to the traditional facelift procedures that are performed under generalanesthesia, the post operative complications associated with local anesthesiacases are lower and risk of bleeding is minimized. I do not ask my patients tostop their HRT while undergoing facelift with local anesthesia that normallytakes less than two hours. The key to a successful facelift procedure usinglocal anesthesia is selection of the right patient by the surgeon and his orher comfort doing these cases.

Thanks for posting your question. I have performed thousands of facelifts, neck lifts, mini lifts, blephs, lasers and chin implants all under local anesthesia and oral sedation (valium). Done properly, patients are comfortable and have an easier recovery both mentally and physically. There is an art and science to this local anesthesia technique to acquire a high level of patient comfort. My patients do not even require a narcotic prior or during their their procedures thus reducing nausea caused by narcotics. The risks, both short term and long term, of general anesthesia are eliminated. Please consult with several board certified surgeons experienced in facelifting and also in local anesthesia techniques.

Facelift can generally be performed using 3 anesthesia options mainly 1) Local anesthesia with some oral sedation, 2) IV sedation with local anesthesia, 3) General anesthesia. It is best to discuss these options with your plastic surgeon. Not all plastic surgeons will be comfortable with all these options. The options available to you will depend on you and the experience of your plastic surgeon with that anesthesia option and the type of procedure. We have performed facelifts with all the options. Most of our patients prefer local with oral sedation, then IV sedation with local anesthesia, lastly general anesthesia.

 


Anesthesia Choices for Facial Aesthetic Surgery such as a mini-lift depend on several factors.
First off, I do not think the type of anesthesia influences either the recovery time or the amount of bruising. Although it is possible to do all of these procedures under local anesthesia - your comfort is the most important concern. You will have to lie still for hours and you will be aware in many cases of injections. For procedures more than 3-4 hours I would recommend IV sedation or a general anesthesia. The IV sedation for most means that you will remember little of most of the procedure and sleep for the majority of it. It is a good choice with less risks than a general anesthetic For local anesthesia cases I usually give Ativan or Valium before hand and most sleep for most of the cases without the need for an IV in healthy patients.

There are several good options for anesthesia during a facelift depending on what a patient desires.  


Local anesthesia with a minimal sedation (mostly awake) can be a good option for some patients who want to avoid general anesthesia.  Seek consultation with a surgeon who can perform this.

IV sedation is another good option.  Here an experienced anesthesiologist is very important.

General anesthesia is also a good option, in particular for patients who want to be knocked out.  


An experienced surgeon can guide you through the options of which anesthetic approach is best for you.