What Anesthesia is Used for a Rhinoplasty?

Your options for anesthesia are:

1) Local:

You are fully awake and a local anesthetic is injected to numb the nose.

2) Local with sedation

You have been given a sedative in addition to the local anesthesia. Here you may wake up and fall back asleep at times during surgery, but you will not remember.

3) General

You are fully sedated such that your breathing has to be done for you via an endotracheal tube.

 

You can choose any of these options based upon medical history, your comfort level, and your surgeon's preference. Some aspects of rhinoplasty (such as cutting the nasal bones) can be uncomfortable for some patients. Know your pain/anxiety threshold! But keep in mind, it is easier to recover from those options that involve less anesthesia (perhaps you have a history of bad nausea and vomiting with general anesthesia).

If you are healthy and want general anesthesia, you should not be concerned with the length of surgery. General anesthesia is like flying a plane: the tough part is the takeoff and the landing. Everything in between is automatic pilot.

However, if you are not a healthy patient, it may not be as safe to have general anesthesia because there can be more blood pressure/volume fluctuations that can put a strain on your heart and lungs. Also, if you've been told you are a "tough intubation" that might indicate that general anesthesia has a higher risk for you.

Don't feel that you have to make this important decision on your own! Your surgeon and your medical doctor will work together to determine the safest option for you. Trust them, that is what they are trained to do.

General anesthesia is best for rhinoplasty because the airway is protected and the patient will not be aware of anything happening during the procedure.  A healthy patient will do very well with anesthesia and patient comfort is always a priority for us.

Rhinoplasty should be performed in an accredited surgery center and is typically performed under IV sedation (twilight anesthesia). While some Doctor's may use general anesthesia where the patient requires intubation (placing a breathing tube through the vocal cords so a machine can breathe for the patient,) we prefer not to intubate our patients. This allows for more comfort during the postoperative period as patients are less likely to become nauseated or vomit which can lead to bleeding.

I perform my rhinoplasty surgeries under general anesthesia. I believe it's the safest option.
General anesthesia means that the patient is completely asleep and not aware of any surroundings during the operation. The patient is intubated, which means that a tube is placed in one's throat which is connected to an anesthesia machine. Breathing function is managed by this breathing machine and the anesthesiologist who monitors the patient's heart rate, blood oxygen level, and blood pressure. The qualified anesthesiologist determines which inhalation gases and intravenous medications to use for the patient before the operation. Best of luck to you.

Your nose is part of your airway, and we feel general anesthetic with a cuffed orotracheal tube is the safest option for preventing blood from getting into your lower airway during rhinoplasty. Thank you for this important question. Dr Joseph

Local or general can be administered, but I generally perform the surgery under general anesthesia for the safety and comfort of patients. 

Most of my rhinoplasty patients are young females - they are all in a high-risk group for post-operative nausea associated with general anesthesia. For this reason, I prefer 'IV sedation' or 'twilight sedation' for rhinoplasty surgery - it avoids the use of inhalational anesthesia and breathing tubes.

There are several types of anesthesia that can be used
during rhinoplasty. Most commonly, rhinoplasty is performed with local
anesthesia with I.V. sedation or under general anesthesia. Both are excellent
options with high satisfaction rates amongst patients.

                  Our
biggest priority is patient safety, and because of this, we always have an
anesthesiologist present to monitor the patient. In most
cases, we prefer general anesthesia, but are not opposed to local anesthesia
with I.V. sedation if the patient requests this type of anesthesia. If you have
concerns about anesthesia or intra operative safety, make sure you discuss this
with your surgeon.

Although local anesthesia and IV sedation is used by many surgeons I prefer to use general anesthesia for my patients.  I feel that this control of the patient is necessary to achieve my best results.

 

General anesthesia is generally my preference as it very safe even though there are a lot of misconceptions. A breathing tube is inserted which has a cuff that protects your airway during surgery. Twilight anesthesia can be used as another good option for those that do not want general...this is done intravenously.





As always, make sure your surgeon sends you for a full work-up before undergoing any procedure with anesthesia. Also, your potential anesthesiologist should be available via phone before the surgery to answer any additional concerns.

 


 

 

The type of anesthesia used for rhinoplasty depends primarily on the surgeon's preference and comfort level. The most commonly used anesthetic methods are general anesthesia, local with IV sedation and/or monitored anesthesia. The patient's safety and comfort is of utmost importance and this should guide the surgeon as to the type of anesthetic used.