I am planning to have a facelift, cheek lift, fat transfer, and laser in one operation. The doctor favors local with oral sedation. I am concerned that a six-hour procedure may have me aware and exceed my tolerance level. I'd love to hear from others who have gone through six-hour facial procedures under local with only oral sedation.
February 14, 2021
Answer: That's a long time... Everyone is different. Some people do really well with local and sedation, others do not. That said, 6 hours is an awfully long time for local anesthesia and oral sedation to keep you comfortable, and I think you are at risk for exceeding your tolerance. Your comfort will be much better assured with IV sedation or a general anesthetic, both of which are quite safe when performed by qualified physicians. In our practice, facelifts alone or in conjunction with other facial procedures are performed in a fully accredited operating room under local anesthesia with IV sedation, or general anesthesia. This maximizes patient comfort and safety.
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February 14, 2021
Answer: That's a long time... Everyone is different. Some people do really well with local and sedation, others do not. That said, 6 hours is an awfully long time for local anesthesia and oral sedation to keep you comfortable, and I think you are at risk for exceeding your tolerance. Your comfort will be much better assured with IV sedation or a general anesthetic, both of which are quite safe when performed by qualified physicians. In our practice, facelifts alone or in conjunction with other facial procedures are performed in a fully accredited operating room under local anesthesia with IV sedation, or general anesthesia. This maximizes patient comfort and safety.
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March 25, 2015
Answer: What kind of anesthesia should I use for a facelift? Hi Crystal, this is a great question! Local anesthesia with oral sedation is a very reasonable option for a facelift. There are several things that you need to consider. First, it is important that the surgeon is experienced with this technique. The simple process of getting you adequately numb is critical. I have found the use of tumescent Lidocaine to be very effective. Your comfort during the procedure is very important. If you have back or neck pain issues, restless leg syndrome, or anxiety or panic disorder, local anesthetic might not be for you.Another consideration is the length of the procedure. Six hours is a long time to have to lay still. If you were my patient and I anticipated a procedure would take six hours I would probably encourage you to consider IV anesthesia at a minimum. I've had numerous great facelift experiences using local anesthetic but I always tell patients that the surgical experience is as important as the outcome.
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March 25, 2015
Answer: What kind of anesthesia should I use for a facelift? Hi Crystal, this is a great question! Local anesthesia with oral sedation is a very reasonable option for a facelift. There are several things that you need to consider. First, it is important that the surgeon is experienced with this technique. The simple process of getting you adequately numb is critical. I have found the use of tumescent Lidocaine to be very effective. Your comfort during the procedure is very important. If you have back or neck pain issues, restless leg syndrome, or anxiety or panic disorder, local anesthetic might not be for you.Another consideration is the length of the procedure. Six hours is a long time to have to lay still. If you were my patient and I anticipated a procedure would take six hours I would probably encourage you to consider IV anesthesia at a minimum. I've had numerous great facelift experiences using local anesthetic but I always tell patients that the surgical experience is as important as the outcome.
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