I would like a (mini?) face lift and rhinoplasty - preferably done at the same time, but have an anesthesia question.

Thanks for your question. It is definitely not true that facelift results are better under local anesthesia. The result is independent of the anesthesia chosen. Rhinoplasty and facelift are relatively long when performed together and I recommend you have them done under a general anesthetic to be most comfortable. It is, however, not unreasonable to do them BOTH under sedation or what we call monitored anesthesia care. Your surgeon and anesthesiologist can best advise you. The type of anesthesia is not what gives you the best result - it is your surgeon!

Hi and thanks for your question.  I have done thousands of rhinoplasties and facelifts.  I am not aware of any factors that adversely affect the outcome depending on which anesthesia type you have.  There would be no reason to do one awake and then go to sleep for the other.  Good luck. Dr. Pontell

The reason surgeons prefer local anesthesia to general for a mini lift are twofold: 1. It’s easier on the patient and speeds recovery,  and 2) It allows us to evaluate the lift while the patient is awake and can move her or his face. However, an expert surgeon understands anatomy sufficiently that we can create the same natural effects for a mini lift under general anesthesia.
The choice, ultimately, is yours. If you’d like to remain awake for your mini lift so you can see what it looks like, that can be arranged. You would then be given general anesthesia for your rhinoplasty. If you’d rather sleep through both procedures, that’s possible, too. The surgeon’s expertise is much more important than choosing one type of anesthesia over another. I hope this helps.