Why IV sedation for Brachioplasty vs general anesthesia? Would it be wrong for me to request general?

Hello,Please be sure that your surgeon is ABPS certified/ASAPS member surgeon that specializes in body contouring surgery. Brachioplasty should be performed in an accredited (AAA, AAAA, Medicare, etc.) ambulatory surgery center, not an office. Although it can be done with 'sedation', it should be done under general anesthesia. Regardless, there needs to be a ABA certified anesthesiologist caring for you as well. Best of luck!

Hello Apollo Star,Thank you for your question regarding IV sedation or general anesthesia for an arm lift. Since 2000, I have performed hundreds of arm lifts.  All the arm lifts I have performed were under general anesthesia.  None of my patients had any problems with anesthesia.       

There is nothing wrong with IV sedation for an arm lift.  However, there are two main issues.  During the arm lift., under general anesthesia, I believe my patients are much more comfortable than with IV sedation.  Under general anesthesia, pain medications do not need to be titrated as much during an IV procedure.  I believe there is also less of an “anesthetic hangover” with general anesthesia compared to IV sedation for an arm lift.  Another difficulty is the IV itself.  The IV is usually placed in the hand.  The anesthetic is given and goes into the hand vein, up the arm, across the arm lift surgical field, and then to the heart.  If there is any compression of the upper arm from the upper arm lift, the IV sedation fluid is restricted.  Vein compression in the upper arm can cause significant problems with IV medication titration.  Therefore, I always suggest general anesthesia for an arm lift. 



Thank you for your questions regarding IV sedation or general anesthesia for an arm lift. If you have any other questions about an arm lift, brachioplasty, or VASER arm liposuction, please contact my office.



Sincerely,Dr. J. Timothy Katzen

Anesthesia considerations for any procedure including brachioplasty tend
to be a function of safety, as well as the procedure and the goals and the
considerations of the individual patient. The top consideration is safety
so regardless of which type of anesthesia is used I would simply make sure that
all of the usual accreditations are in place and safety equipment is readily
available. A detailed discussion with the anesthesiologist would most
likely resolve your concerns. I hope this information is helpful to you.
Best of luck!

Congratulations on your significant weight loss; you should be very proud of this accomplishment. In my practice, I  perform arm lifting surgery under general anesthesia only (provided by board-certified anesthesiologists).  I have found that this allows for maximal patient comfort, safety, and immobility considerations. My best suggestion: select your plastic surgeon carefully. Make sure that he/she has significant/demonstrable experience achieving the types of outcomes you will be pleased with. Working together you will come up with a plan to achieve your desired outcome safely and comfortably. You may find the attached link helpful to you as you learn more. Best wishes.

Both methods of anesthesia are fine but I would make sure that the office maintains the same standards for monitoring and  post op recovery  as an outpatient surgical  facility. What you don't want to happen is that there is no preparation for an emergency should it arise during the IV sedation.

Thank you for your question. It can be done both ways, depending on the surgeon and amount of tissue and lido amount based on the weight. In my practice I do all these under general anesthesia. You can certainly request your surgeon at the time of consultation.

Thank you for your question.  It's not the sedation that's the issue, it's the amount of local that would be required for a bilateral brachioplasty which may reach toxic levels, increasing the risk for complications.  For this reason, I perform brachioplasties under general.  It would be completely reasonable to have general anesthesia for this operation.  Be sure that your surgeon is an experienced board certified plastic surgeon.  Good luck!

With your history, I think it is fine to request a general anesthesia. If your  suurgeon  does not agree, then it is fine for you to find another surgeon. You should feel good about your decision and have confidencce in your surgeon.