Cheek Augmentation(cheek implants), is local anesthesia with oral sedation enough?

Question

Hello. I am looking into having a cheek augmentation (cheek implants) and I want to AVOID general anesthesia. I see my other two options are local anesthesia w/ IV SEDATION and local anesthesia with ORAL SEDATION. Which is best? Which is safe?

Michael I. Echavez, MD · Answer

My preference is to perform cheek augmentation with IV sedation and local anesthesia.  I find that patients do very well with this type of anesthesia for this procedure.  The procedure could also be done with general anesthesia or local anesthesia with oral sedation.  It is really a matter of preference of the surgeon and the patient.  In a healthy patient, I would say that the procedure could be done safely with any of the three types of anesthesia.

William Portuese, MD · Answer

Placement of cheek implants can be performed under local anesthesia, IV sedation, or a brief general anesthesia. It is really  dependent on what the patient can tolerate. The entire cheek area must be numbed up, and the implants are inserted through an intra-oral approach. They're placed directly over the bone of the maxilla(under the periosteum) to give the proper augmentation. Internal dissolvable sutures were also placed above the gum line.

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD (retired) · Answer

I perform many cheek implants and like the use of IV sedation.   The implant is placed through an intra-oral incision and the covering of the bone is lifted to place the implant.  IV sedation works very well for this procedure.

Richard W. Fleming, MD (retired) · Answer

You need to be clearer about your concerns regarding anesthesia. IV sedation is a form of general anesthesia. When I worked with the California Medical Board and the California Medical Society to establish regulations for out- patient surgery centers we defined general anesthetics as any medication that took away the patient's life preserving reflexes; IV sedation does that.

Cheek Augmentation(cheek implants), is local anesthesia with oral sedation enough?

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