Do facelift or eye lift patients sedated only with oral medication and local anesthetic EVER feel pain during the surgery?

However, the discomfort is easily tolerated. The discomfort is on the order of being poke by your dentist for the injection of local anesthetic. I have had facelift patients whose surgery I performed under local with oral sedation actually sleep through the entire procedure. On the other hand, this type of anesthesia is not for everyone. Some people require more sedation and benefit from intravenous sedation. You can still be awake and cooperative which in my opinion is essential for eyelid surgery but the drugs make it impossible to be concerned about the awareness and in many cases, memories of the event do not form. Oral medication does not produce this depth of sedation.

It is always possible to feel pain. Nobody can promise that you will never feel pain. I usually suggest IV sedation at the very least. If you are at all worried, then you should discuss this with your surgeon. You may be someone that should receive a GA if you're very anxious.Best,

The overall facial aesthetic surgery experience should be positive in every aspect. I strongly suggest that patients who do not want to be aware of any sensation (sound, smell, the occasional "tug", etc.) undergo sedation with either "twilight sleep" administered via an IV or general anesthesia. Some patients prefer to avoid sedation while others desire a "wake me up when it's over" type of experience. There is no right or wrong- just be honest with your surgeon about the type of experience you are seeking.

If you are awake during a procedure, you will experience sensation. The injection of the local anesthesia is accompanied by a mild or moderate stinging and burning. This can be lessened by choice of anesthesia mixture and injection technique. After that, the area should be completely numb, but sometimes more anesthesia injection is needed. For a true drooping eyelid "eyelift" (ptosis repair) there is a pinching or pressure sensation as the eyelid lifting muscle is tightened. For upper eyelid skin removal, this is usually not an issue. These sensations are all very well tolerated by the vast majority of patients and should not be cause for significant concern.

Patients are aware of the sounds and smells during the procedure, but with adequate local anesthesia will not feel any pain. The surgeon can also inject more local anesthetic as necessary during the procedure to ensure maximum patient comfort.

For patient safety and comfort, we perform facelift and eyelid surgery under general anesthesia. Patients have no recollection of the injections or the surgery. Trying to perform these procedures under local anesthesia will be painful for the injection, and can be painful for the surgery as well, if the entire area is not anesthetized. In addition, patient's have conscious awareness of the sounds, smells and awareness of the situation while surgery is being performed

I perform about 95% of my facelift and eyelid rejuvenation procedures under local anesthesia with some oral medications. I can only comment on the experience of my patients, of course. Each doctor may have a slightly different technique, medication combination, etc.The only portion of the procedure which may be a little uncomfortable is the infusion of the local anesthetic mixture. We use a buffered solution, and inject using the smallest possible needles and/or cannulas which minimized discomfort. Properly done, few patients complain of "pain" during this portion of the procedure. You may have a mild stinging or burning sensation. After the anesthetic has been placed, there is no pain, although you can feel pressure and movement. If you do experience anything sharp or uncomfortable, you should let your surgeon know...a little more local anesthetic will prevent that from happening again. You may or may not remember portions of the procedure. This depends on your metabolism and what medicines are used. Almost all patients are very satisfied with the experience of their procedure, and they like the fact they don't have to be put to sleep with a full anesthetic. You should certainly discuss your concerns with your surgeon so you can understand what to expect from your procedure.

Hello, thank you for your question! For the most comfort, especially for a facelift involving SMAS procedure and work on the neck, general anesthesia is required. There are multiple kinds of facelifts; however, most physicians prefer to do this procedure under general anesthesia because it requires precision for the best results, and the patient must be very still. Additional cost for general anethsesia is around $1,000, and personally, it is worth the price. The results are better. Procedures on the eyes are generally quick procedures, so local anesthetic is commonly used and effective, and you do not have to stay still for extended periods of time. Except for the "pinch" of the injection of the local anesthetic, there is minimal to no pain to the area, just a feeling of "pressure."

Most patients only experience pain during the injection of local anesthetic. Proecures under local are very common and safe. Best wishes.

With sedation techniques, many types of eyelid and facelift procedures can be comfortably done. But this is highly dependent on the surgeon and the anxiety level of the patient. I would be less sure about complete comfortability with just oral sedation alone, IV sedation would be better. When in doubt have a deep sedation or general anesthesia with an anesthesiologist where you will be the most assured to not feel or remember anything.