What kind of local anaesthesia is usually used for doing blepharoplasty? And what kind of oral sedation or IV sedation is used?

The choice of anesthesia during eyelid surgery is made by the patient in consultation with their physician. Upper eyelid surgery is easily performed with local anesthesia alone, although some patients opt for IV sedation in order to manage their anxiety or 'fear of discomfort'. Uncomplicated lower eyelid surgery can also be performed under local anesthesia, however I suggest sedation anesthesia for a majority of my lower eyelid patients. General anesthesia is rarely ever necessary. Surgery can be performed in office or in an ambulatory surgery center setting. Best wishes.

lisa777  Thank you for your question.  Each cosmetic surgeon may utilize  different anesthesia for customization for individual clients.  To me, most important is your safety and sterility is more of a concern.  Many physicians will safely perform this procedure in a designated room in their office.  Others will perform in a certified operating room with a board certified anesthesiologist. The type of anesthesia usually involves Lidocaine 1 or 2 % mixed with epinephrine to decrease bleeding.  If there is an anesthesiologist multiple relaxing medications can be given from proprafol to versed.

Xylocaine is the brand name for lidocaine . . . it is the
same product!  
There are many medications
used for IV sedation/twilight “anesthesia.” 
Ask your nurse anesthetist or M.D. anesthesiologist what their
combination “cocktail” works the best with the least side effects.  
Hope this helps! 
Good luck!
 

It will vary from surgeon to surgeon but typically I will do my upper and lower eyelid surgery patients under sedation at a surgery center. They will receive IV sedation, much like a colonoscopy, which will make them unaware of what is happening, but it is not general anesthesia. If a patient only wants their upper lids done I will do them in the office under local only (lidocaine with epi). 

I use sedation anesthesia for eyelid surgery. Local anesthetics such as Lidocaine or Xylocaine (same compounds) can burn and be painful during injections. The patient can move away from the injection causing the needle to move.We use an anesthesiologist to administer Propofol to put the patient in a twilight state so they are not in pain or moving during the procedure.Hope this helps.

In my clinic, we often perform blepharoplasty in office under local anesthesia. We offer oral medication prior to the procedure which includes low dose Valium and pain medication. These take effect for about 45 minutes prior to procedure start to decrease overall anxiety and make the procedure more comfortable. The eyelids are then numbed with a local injection Lidocaine/Marcaine mix. Certain providers will use different combinations of local numbing solution. A mix with a longer lasting numbing (Marcaine) medication are nice for the patient in the post operative peroid. Xylocaine and Lidocaine are the same. 

The type of anesthesia used for a blepharoplasty depends in a few factors. Many patientschoose to have the procedure done in the office with just local anesthesiabecause they are uncomfortable with general anesthesia for one reason oranother. Often, cost is a factor as well. Local procedures, using lidocaine,are often less expensive when compared to surgeries that require generalanesthesia. It also depends on whether or not the patient is comfortable beingawake during the procedure. Some patients are not comfortable hearing andpossibly seeing certain things during surgery, which will happen if theirsurgeon is only using a local anesthetic. For local procedures, we oftenprescribe anti-anxiety medical to help patients feel more relaxed during theprocedure. 

Xylocaine is the trade mane of Lidocaine. They are the same. I usually mix Lidocaine with Bupivacaine (both with epinephrine) so that I get a rapid onset (from the Lidocaine) and longer duration (from the Bupivacaine). When I'm in the office, I use oral valium. For twilight anesthesia, it's often Versed and or Propofol. My choice is based on what we are doing and patient preference. I prefer twilight for lower blepharoplasty since I often transpose fat and resuspend the obilularis muscle. That's a bit much for local alone.

Lidocaine and xylocaine are the same drugs. I typically use the local anesthetic (Lidocaine 1%) and combine that with Valium for my upper eyelid cases. its rare that an IV sedation is to be used for something that's rather simpler. if a patient is not comfortable enough with these 2 drugs then  one can consider propofol infusion. it adds to the cost as it has to be administered by the anesthesiologist and that adds to their fee and time as well. 

Depending on the patient's tolerance, eyelid surgery may be performed under local anesthesia (numbing only), local with oral medicines for sedation or general anesthetic.  The specific medications used will vary according to the preferences of the surgeon but in general local anesthetic will be lidocaine based and oral agents include a pain medication and a benzodiazepine .

Hello and thank you for your excellent question. Blepahroplasty can be preformed under all of these conditions - local, IV sedation, and General anesthesia. In general, twilight would be the same as IV sedation. When we use local we usually use 1% Lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinepherine (this is the same as xylocaine) and we use this because the epinephrine that's added helps it last longer and constricts the blood vessels, thus allowing for a cleaner surgical field. The most common oral sedation is usually Ativan or Valium, but this will vary from practice to practice. You should consult with a board certified plastic surgeon who can help guide you in your decision making.