My doctor said he could perform my facelift under local anesthetic and just give me some sedation. I am 42, would general anesthesia be safe for me? I don’t know what is worse – the general anesthesia, or not being fully knocked out.
Answer: Facelift anesthesia depends on your tolerance for discomfort Almost all modern facelifts are performed with local anesthesia. The question then is only what sedation you administer in addition to the local anesthetic, and who administers it. The options are no sedation, oral sedation alone (i.e. valium), deep intravenous sedation, or a light general anesthetic.
Helpful 4 people found this helpful
Answer: Facelift anesthesia depends on your tolerance for discomfort Almost all modern facelifts are performed with local anesthesia. The question then is only what sedation you administer in addition to the local anesthetic, and who administers it. The options are no sedation, oral sedation alone (i.e. valium), deep intravenous sedation, or a light general anesthetic.
Helpful 4 people found this helpful
Answer: Facelift surgery This is a very common question. Facelift surgery can be done under local anesthesia, IV sedation plus local injections, or general anesthesia and depends on several factors. These include the type of facelift being done, patient health and anatomy, and the surgeon’s experience and preference. All of this is typically discussed at your initial consultation. My preference for most patients is MAC anesthesia, which is a type of IV sedation that many people have for procedures like colonoscopy. You are not intubated during MAC anesthesia, you breathe on your own but you have little memory of what happens. The medications wear off very quickly at the end of the surgery and patients generally have few side effects. As always, I advise patients to choose a board-certified plastic surgeon experienced in facial surgery and find someone you connect with and trust. Good Luck!
Helpful
Answer: Facelift surgery This is a very common question. Facelift surgery can be done under local anesthesia, IV sedation plus local injections, or general anesthesia and depends on several factors. These include the type of facelift being done, patient health and anatomy, and the surgeon’s experience and preference. All of this is typically discussed at your initial consultation. My preference for most patients is MAC anesthesia, which is a type of IV sedation that many people have for procedures like colonoscopy. You are not intubated during MAC anesthesia, you breathe on your own but you have little memory of what happens. The medications wear off very quickly at the end of the surgery and patients generally have few side effects. As always, I advise patients to choose a board-certified plastic surgeon experienced in facial surgery and find someone you connect with and trust. Good Luck!
Helpful
July 16, 2019
Answer: Facelifts can be performed under local anesthesia Either way is a completely reasonable alternative in competent hands. General anesthesia is very very safe in healthy individuals, and is usually very well tolerated. Local anesthesia with sedation is often my preferred method though, as it allows for briefer recovery times overall, with oftentimes less swelling and bruising in my facelift practice. This is because many of the agents used to put you to sleep make the blood vessels dilate, contributing to that swelling and bruising. Overall, I’d tell you that this question is pretty easily addressed with your surgeon. What are both you and he comfortable with? Are you ok at the dentist, or does even that require sedation? How long is the expected duration of the procedure? I think longer than three hours, you might consider general, mainly because some people get tired of laying on their back longer than that. Also, if you have any substantial medical issues, it may be best to have an anesthesiologist on the team.
Helpful
July 16, 2019
Answer: Facelifts can be performed under local anesthesia Either way is a completely reasonable alternative in competent hands. General anesthesia is very very safe in healthy individuals, and is usually very well tolerated. Local anesthesia with sedation is often my preferred method though, as it allows for briefer recovery times overall, with oftentimes less swelling and bruising in my facelift practice. This is because many of the agents used to put you to sleep make the blood vessels dilate, contributing to that swelling and bruising. Overall, I’d tell you that this question is pretty easily addressed with your surgeon. What are both you and he comfortable with? Are you ok at the dentist, or does even that require sedation? How long is the expected duration of the procedure? I think longer than three hours, you might consider general, mainly because some people get tired of laying on their back longer than that. Also, if you have any substantial medical issues, it may be best to have an anesthesiologist on the team.
Helpful
March 31, 2019
Answer: Anesthesia I perform all of my surgeries at an accredited surgical center staffed with RN's, CRNA's and Anesthesiologists. My patients are given moderate sedation (just like a colonoscopy) they are completely unaware of what is happening, but they are not intubated and are breathing on their own. In my hands I think this is the best technique.
Helpful
March 31, 2019
Answer: Anesthesia I perform all of my surgeries at an accredited surgical center staffed with RN's, CRNA's and Anesthesiologists. My patients are given moderate sedation (just like a colonoscopy) they are completely unaware of what is happening, but they are not intubated and are breathing on their own. In my hands I think this is the best technique.
Helpful
June 13, 2021
Answer: Facelift Anaesthesia Thank you for your question. Every patient is different. Every surgeon differs in their preferences. The only way to guarantee that you won't hear something, feel something, or experience something you may find distasteful, is to give you a General. The level of General required is less than if you broke a bone or were having intra-abdominal surgery. That being said my anesthesiologists give great "twilight" anaesthesia. Discuss with your surgeon. Your comfort is important in your experience.
Helpful
June 13, 2021
Answer: Facelift Anaesthesia Thank you for your question. Every patient is different. Every surgeon differs in their preferences. The only way to guarantee that you won't hear something, feel something, or experience something you may find distasteful, is to give you a General. The level of General required is less than if you broke a bone or were having intra-abdominal surgery. That being said my anesthesiologists give great "twilight" anaesthesia. Discuss with your surgeon. Your comfort is important in your experience.
Helpful
December 10, 2018
Answer: Anesthesia during a facelift There are many different types of anesthesia that are possible during a facelift. Most all surgeons will use local anesthesia for pain control and to decrease bleeding. Some surgeons will perform a facelift under purely local anesthesia, but this is not something that I would commonly choose to perform. The addition of some oral sedation can be helpful, but I still find that most patients are too uncomfortable. I perform almost all of my facelifts under deep sedation, which allows the patient to be completely pain-free and asleep during the procedure, but also to bounce back and recover quicker than general anesthesia with a breathing tube. In some cases, we will perform a facelift under true general anesthesia in a hospital setting, but this is uncommon.
Helpful
December 10, 2018
Answer: Anesthesia during a facelift There are many different types of anesthesia that are possible during a facelift. Most all surgeons will use local anesthesia for pain control and to decrease bleeding. Some surgeons will perform a facelift under purely local anesthesia, but this is not something that I would commonly choose to perform. The addition of some oral sedation can be helpful, but I still find that most patients are too uncomfortable. I perform almost all of my facelifts under deep sedation, which allows the patient to be completely pain-free and asleep during the procedure, but also to bounce back and recover quicker than general anesthesia with a breathing tube. In some cases, we will perform a facelift under true general anesthesia in a hospital setting, but this is uncommon.
Helpful
