Is general anesthesia absolutely necessary for a facelift and necklift surgeries?

Most surgeons choose the type of anesthesia that they use based upon what they are comfortable with and what they feel will give the patient the best experience. This can be modified, i.e., if someone is having a mini facelift, this can easily be done under local anesthesia only. A full facelift, with neck rejuvenation, with suturing and SMAS flap elevation may be done under either general or IV sedation, mutually decided upon jointly by the patient and the surgeon. When done by a skilled anesthesiologist, the recovery from general anesthesia or IV sedation should be equivalent. During your consultation with your plastic surgeon, have a detailed discussion about what they feel most comfortable with and what they feel would be best for you to give you your best experience. Best wishes.

General anesthesia or sedation + local anesthesia are both excellent options to perform a facelift ; The choice will depend on the Plastic surgeon and anesthesia team in a way they feel comfortable to perform the surgery and giving the patient a good experience on a safe way trough the process.

Hello, and thank you for your question. The type of anesthesia to be used will depend on your health, the type and extent of the surgery performed, and your surgeon. Awake facelifts and neck lifts can be performed for the right patient. Your comfort and safety should be a top priority when choosing anesthesia. Ultimately, you should feel safe and confident about your surgery. I recommend consulting with a reputable board-certified facial plastic surgeon. Your surgeon can address all your concerns, fully discuss the surgical procedure, and ensure the best possible results.

Both general anesthesia and IV sedation are acceptable for face and necklifts. I prefer IV sedation because patients seem to "get over" the anesthesia more quickly and with less nausea, most of the time. However, the surgeon must feel comfortable that the anesthesiologist is skilled at providing enough sedation to keep the patient still and comfortable, yet safely and adequately oxygenated. In my experience, certain patients who are very anxious, high strung, or accustomed to drinking alcohol or taking tranquilizers, often need much more sedation than is safe to keep them comfortable, and that can cause problems. So the decision should take into account the demeanor of the patient, the preference of both surgeon and patient, and the anesthesiologist's experience.

Most facelifts are done with IV sedation or even just local anesthesia and oral sedation. General anesthesia is not necessary. However it depends on surgeon's comfort. General anesthesia is associated with nausea and vomiting, DVT/PE complications, malignant hyperthermia, etc. IV sedation is an easier recovery and with experienced practitioners, very safe.

There are pros and cons to general anesthesia vs intravenous sedation for facelift surgery, but both have a similar recovery. You want to go with what your surgeon and anesthesia provider recommend for your comfort and safety.

So pros of receiving a facelift under local is that has less recovery right after, you can move your head while operating so easier to positioning. Also may reduce the cost of having anesthesia. Less drugs in the system. It is really what you and your plastic discuss and prefer. There is not difference in facelift outcome.

Although general anesthesia is more commonly used for facelifts, many surgeons do this procedure with sedation and local anesthesia. Sedation generally has a quicker recovery from anesthesia without the hangover feeling that can come with general anesthesia. There is less risk of nausea and vomiting, and there are generally less fluctuations in blood pressure which can affect bruising. I personally use sedation exclusively but I think that is a discussion to have with your surgeon. The most only factor is your trust in your surgeon and although it may Influence your decision, the most important factors are a surgeons credentials experience, befit and after pictures and reputation ( which includes on line reviews).

I have performed them both ways. I prefer general anesthesia but sedation is fine as well. General anesthesia is very safe when administered by an anesthesiologist. With Intravenous sedation there can be issues. Not all patients tolerate it well so sometimes it becomes a struggle and actually takes longer. Then the patient starts squirming especially if they have a full bladder. Most of the serious problems that patients get into involve being over sedated. That would not be a problem with general anesthesia. Each surgeon has their preference

Hello Lisa,
In our practice I offer both general anesthesia and IV Sedation. My preference is IV sedation because the recovery time is less and because the risk of PE (Pulmonary Embolism) is greatly reduced with IV sedation vs general anesthesia. For longer and more difficult cases I prefer general anesthesia because the patient is monitored by a board certified anesthesiologist during the case and because the patient has no mobility, whereas during IV sedation the patient may be unconscious but still has a bit of movement. Ultimately the decision falls upon the physician and what he or she is most comfortable with.
Good luck in your journey
Dr. Mark Blake