Lower face lift and neck lift under local anesthesia. Is it effective?

Hi Mikim6393It's a more and more commonly asked question.What makes the Concept™ Facelift so revolutionary is that it has the same results as traditional facelift methods but can have you back to work within days rather than months. If you are looking for a procedure that will flatter and rejuvenate you, without too stark a difference post operatively, then this facelift is for you.Make sure you do your homework and find a reputable and experienced surgeon and good luck.

Great question, and one I respond to frequently in my practice.  The answer is that it depends on the patient. I perform the preponderance of my facelifts under sedation, because the majority of my patients would prefer to be free of pain, anxiety, and awareness during the procedure.  Sedation offers this distinct benefit.  The question I ask my patients is: "How long are you comfortable resting on a poolside lounge chair?"  The answer is usually 45 minutes or less, which is considerably shorter than it takes to perform a SMAS-based facelift.  Some patients believe that there is a safety benefit from a local anesthesia case, but for healthy patients, this isn't necessarily true.  

Facelift operations can successfully be performed under local anesthesia and deep sedation or general anesthesia. The choice of which varies from surgeon to surgeon. What is important is the anesthesiologist's experience and his/her ability to control the anesthetic process throughout the surgery according to the surgeon's preference. In my practice, I operate my patients under general anesthesia. This increases the patient conform as well as the safety and gain of control I prefer to have during the surgery.
Hope this helps,
Ali Rıza Öreroğlu, MD FEBOPRASEuropean and Turkish Board Certified Aesthetic, Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeonIstanbul, Turkey

#Facelifts and ancillary procedures are usually performed as #outpatient in a surgery center. A one night stay in post-operative care facility may be advisable in some cases. But, local #anesthetic combined with intravenous sedation is usually used. This will allow the patient to sleep through most of the procedure. General anesthesia is available upon request however is usually not necessary.The Lite-lift™ is generally performed with a local anesthetic and medication by mouth, which will keep you comfortable during the procedure and allow for an easier recovery.For more information about Lite-lift™, I welcome you to visit my website link provided below.

In my experience of more than 30 years and busy practice in
facial surgery, most of my cases are done with sedation and local anesthesia.
In the great majority of the cases the patients don’t even remember going into
the operating room but I always give the option of choosing the type of
anesthesia they would like to have.

I learned from people who did this under local which you can do I just find that going to sleep is not bad if you have a great anesthesiologist.  Best, Dr. Eemr.

Lower face and neck lift can be performed under any form of anesthesia, local, sedation or general. By far patients are much more comfortable under sedation or general anesthesia.The procedure can be performed under local anesthesia easily but most patients will tell you that it was too painful. The cost is not that much more under combination of IV sedation and local rather than local alone, and patient's are very comfortable and experience no pain at all. General anesthesia is useful for very anxious patients but will be more expensive.

Thanks for sharing.  Performing a full lower face and neck lift is not routinely done under local anesthesia. That said, I have performed these procedures thousands of times under local anesthesia and oral sedation. (I also perform facelifts under iv sedation) My patients are highly satisfied with this local anesthesia modality and with their surgical results. They say the recovery is easier as well.  Yes you will feel some of he numbing shots and after that you should not feel anything.  It is easier than you think. The majority of my patients do fall  asleep under oral sedation. There is an art and skill to this method. Make sure your surgeon has performed many face and neck lifts this way. Speak with your surgeon again to review your anesthetic options. 

Yes its done regularly and depends on surgeon preference and training. There are many surgeons that do so (all mine are done this way)- and my patients are comfortable during the procedure with less nausea and other risks associated with general anesthesia afterwards. I perform all my procedures, upper and lower eyelids, facial fat transfer, laser skin resurfacing, neck lifts, facelifts, all under local anesthesia. If you have concerns about how you will feel during the procedure, ask to speak to some of the surgeons patients or read the reviews online about patients experiences. 

I routinely do facelifts under local anesthesia and have done thousands of cases inthis way.  First off, once you are numb, you do not feel cutting during the procedure.Most patients are resting comfortably during the procedure.  All the injections are doneat the beginning and no more is needed after that.  If the injections are done right, there ismild discomfort at the time of injection which is momentary.  We do complete facelifts and not minilifts with verynatural results.  If you are unsure about this, talk to a certified surgeon who has done a greatnumber of patients in this fashion to make sure you have a great experience.