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.

Thank you for your question. The answer depends on your comfort with a local facelift as well as the surgeon's comfort and experience with the procedure. Some of the best facelifts I have ever seen have been under local anesthesia, with less bleeding, bruising and a therefore, a quicker recovery. Admittedly, these were done by surgeons with an exceptional level of skill and experience with facelifts under local anesthesia, usually with some form sedation. These particular surgeons have done so many of these procedures that they have become extremely efficient, with average operative times under two hours. They have also tailored the local anesthetic solution so that they are long lasting with little discomfort on injection. Most surgeons are more comfortable with facelifts done under general anesthesia. I would ask your proposed surgeon what he or she is most comfortable with, as well as their level of experience. Unlike most other types of plastic surgery, there is a wide variation in experience level for this procedure. Then base your decision on what you are comfortable with.

Hello and thank you for your question. I do not recommend having a facelift with local anesthesia only.  There are many potential problems with this.  I perform facelifts with a board-certified anesthesiologist present for the entire case who administer either general anesthesia or sedation anesthesia.  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.
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

Thank you for the question. First, if the anesthesia/analgesia plan that was offered to you makes you uncomfortable, please don't do it. Second, while it is possible to do a facelift with just local anesthesia, I personally don't recommend this for most patients. A well-planned and performed facelift will take 3 or more hours to complete. This is a long time to lay still, and a lot of surgical manipulation to endure. In addition, concerns from your surgeon about how you are reacting could affect your results. Lastly, it is important to know exactly what is being done during your surgery. If the procedure offered is only an hour and requires only a little local, it isn't really a facelift.

A facelift can be performed under local anesthesia. Xanax may help with anxiety but rarely with significant sedation. Under local anesthesia, the extent of the facelift operation or SMAS lift may be limited. We perform our deep plane facelift surgeries under general anesthesia. There are many methods to perform facelift, I would concentrate on the results. 

In my opinion, a properly performed facelift requires some form of sedation for the sake of patient comfort and efficiency in the procedure.  If a "lift" is performed under local anesthesia, it is very likely to be some form of compromise procedure that won't last very long or address the concerns of most facelift candidates. Several years ago, a company advertised these forms of procedures under local synesthesia, falsely claiming greater patient safety.  Think first of the result you want to have and understand that sedation is almost always in a patient's best interest. 

For the right patient, an "in office" facelift with local anesthesia and Xanax can be a completely safe option. You will feel some pain from the anesthesia injections and although some patients sleep through the procedure, others are awake though relaxed. Given your anxiety, I would encourage you to get a second opinion from another board certified plastic surgeon in your area to determine if this is really a good option for you.Kindly,Kouros Azar

Certain lesser facelifts can be performed under strictly local anesthesia and oral sedation.  You will likely feel some of the anesthetic shots as it takes many.  You will also "hear" the sounds of cutting by your ear.