Rhinoplasty with local anesthesia: Is there a shorter recovery time with less swelling?

Question

Will there be less swelling as opposed to general anesthesia? I am getting local anesthesia rhinoplasty this summer and I was wondering how long my face would be swollen? Like the under eyes and such.

Richard G. Reish, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question.  The
best advice you can receive is from an in-person consultation.  In order to obtain the best results, I perform rhinoplasty with general anesthesia administered by a board-certified MD anesthesiologist.   Make sure you specifically look
at before and after pictures of real patients who have had this surgery
performed by your surgeon and evaluate their results.   The most
important aspect is to find a surgeon you are comfortable with. I recommend
that you seek consultation with a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon who
can evaluate you in person.
Best wishes and good luck.
Richard G. Reish, M.D.  FACS
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

John Michael Thomassen, MD · Answer

The type of anesthesia may affect your recovery.  With local anesthesia only, you will require more infiltration of local anesthesia into the nasal tip.  This in turn may result in more swelling.  However, if you are only undergoing a simple  tip rhinoplasty, it may be the best option.

Adam D. Stein, MD · Answer

Swelling after rhinoplasty is minimally effected by the type of anesthesia used and is highly variable from patient to patient. Some have very mild swelling and minimal bruising while others have severe swelling and very dark shiners under the eyes. Good luck.

William Portuese, MD · Answer

Attempting to perform a rhinoplasty under local anesthesia is a very bad idea since it's extremely painful, uncomfortable and impossible to endure under local anesthesia. In our practice, this type of surgery is performed in an outpatient surgery center under general anesthesia monitored by a physician anesthesiologist for patient safety and comfort.

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD · Answer

Provided that the identical type of rhinoplasty is being done under local or general anesthesia, there is no difference in the swelling or recovery. The extent of the rhinoplasty determines swelling and recovery, not the type of anesthesia used.

Joshua A. Halpern, MD, PA · Answer

There many different techniques when performing a rhinoplasty. I incorporate the FINNESSE technique, which I invented. Bleeding, bruising, swelling and pain are minimal when compared to traditional techniques. I typically do not pack the nose after surgery. It’s not uncommon for patients to go out with there friends 10 days after surgery. I prefer to perform nasel surgery under anesthesia. Patients do not move when they are asleep allowing me to be more precise with the surgery. I hope you find this information useful. For more information please watch the enclosed video.

Darryl J. Blinski, MD · Answer

Personal experience after breaking my nose in my teens and twenties having both local and general/local anesthesia - NO DECISION use of general/local commotion always best. Swelling NOT effected by the type of anesthesia. In fact doing local only makes me think you are not using a boarded surgeon??

Michael M. Kim, MD · Answer

When you say "local anesthesia" I am going to assume that you mean "local anesthesia with sedation" which would be a lot more comfortable. When compared with general anesthesia (my preferred method), I wouldn't count on it giving you less swelling. I find that probably the most consistent difference between sedation and general is that there tends to be less nausea, sore throat, and patients tend to go home faster.I hope that helps.Michael M. Kim, MD

Rhinoplasty with local anesthesia: Is there a shorter recovery time with less swelling?

Answers (8)

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