Facelift with Xanax and local?

Thanks for sharing.  I have performed thousands of face and neck lifts under local anesthesia and oral sedation. In the properly trained and experienced hands it is very possible to do a facelift this way.  There are limits in terms of length of procedure and underlying patient anxiety. Once the local anesthesia and meds have taken effect you do not usually feel pain and are actually likely sleeping.  This is a nice alternative to being under general anesthesia or iv anesthesia especially for someone who wants less risk and less cost.  Make sure your doctor has performed his facelifts hundreds of times this way and has great patient testimonials attested to this method

A facelift can be performed with local anesthesia. However, this means that the patient is awake. It is like a prolonged dental procedure. An experienced surgeon can make a patient relaxed and comfortable but some discomfort especially with the injections of the local anesthesia is expected. It is not for all patients for sure. Many prefer to be asleep for the procedure. Some patients are afraid to be asleep with anesthesia and others are worried about possible risks in addition to nausea some experience. For some patients local anesthesia may be the preferred method. For others, general anesthesia works best.

It is becoming more common for Plastic Surgeons to perform facelifts under local anesthesia with mild sedation. Having personally performed all of my facial procedures this way for ten years, I can say that it is both very possible and has numerous advantages for the patient. The first advantage is the safety. By not having to undergo general anesthesia, you avoid all of the real risks of damage to your heart, lungs, brain etc. Secondly, when performed in this manner, the overall cost to the patient should be less since there is no anesthesiologist or facility fee to pay.That said, there truly is a learned skill when it comes to making the experience comfortable for the patient. There are numerous little things (ie the amount of light in the room, the size of the needles, the music playing, the energy of the doctor etc etc) that add up in making the experience of local anesthesia placement and the actual surgery successful.So long as you trust your surgeon, all you need to be sure of is that he/she does most of his/her procedures in this manner. If they only perform an occasional procedure under local, then I would possibly reconsider since this method is something that takes a bit of practice to perfect. Hope this helps, and best of luck to you! Doc L.