Understanding your Options for Cosmetic Surgery Anesthesia

If you have decided to take control of your appearance through cosmetic surgery, you are probably looking forward to the procedure with excitement. However, it's important to remember that plastic surgery is as serious as any other surgery that requires anesthesia. Understand your anesthesia options with cosmetic surgery before you agree on a treatment protocol.

Why Use Anesthesia During Cosmetic Surgery?

In general terms, anesthesia is a medication that reduces the patient's awareness, discomfort and defensive physical responses during a surgical procedure. These mechanisms give the patient and surgeon an optimal experience during surgery. Patients become physically and mentally unaware of the surgical procedure. Surgeons enter a controlled and more effective operating environment.

Depending on your medical history and the surgical procedure, your doctor may recommend local, regional or general anesthesia. In addition to anesthesia, sedation may be an option to enhance the amnesia effect.

Types of Cosmetic Surgery Anesthesia

Surgeons use local anesthesia for straightforward cosmetic procedures that are under three hours in length. If you have ever had a dental filling or root canal, you have probably had local anesthesia.

The local anesthetic can be topical or injectable, around the surgical site. It acts quickly and makes the skin and tissue feel numb, cold or tingly. As it lasts for only about an hour, additional doses may be necessary during surgery. Many cosmetic surgeons prefer to administer local anesthesia themselves, instead of using an anesthesiologist.

For certain facial plastic surgery procedures, your surgeon may recommend regional anesthesia, also called a regional block or nerve block. This technique consists of a carefully administered injection, directly into a nerve cluster that controls a specific area of the body. When used alone, this type of cosmetic surgery anesthesia reduces pain at the surgical site. However, it will not cause you to become drowsy or unaware of the procedure.

To enhance your comfort and the effect of local or regional anesthesia, the surgeon may suggest an intravenous, oral or gas sedative. Sedation causes you to become very sleepy or temporarily unconscious during the cosmetic surgery procedure. Knowing you will be unable to feel sensations or remember the surgery can induce relaxation and relieve stress. Sedatives usually wear off quickly and don't incite the post-operative nausea and vomiting that may occur with general anesthesia.

General Anesthesia in Cosmetic Plastic Surgery

As always, the approach to anesthesia during cosmetic surgery should be a joint decision between you and the doctor. Many complex procedures, such as a face lift or breast lift, are performed under general anesthesia. In this case, an anesthesiologist administers the anesthesia.

Depending on the approach, general anesthesia is administered through inhaled gas, intravenous liquid or both at the same time. The medication will make you unconscious and unable to feel or remember anything about the surgery.

While it sounds like the ideal way to have surgery, general anesthesia carries some risk factors. Your cosmetic surgeon and anesthesiologist will work with you to evaluate the risks and develop your personal surgical protocol. The anesthesiologist is present during the operation, monitoring your vital signs and adjusting the dosage as necessary.

Recovery from Anesthesia After Cosmetic Surgery

Some patients may experience side effects from the anesthesia after surgery. General anesthesia has more pronounced side effects. Feeling cold, shivering, crying or becoming emotional, feeling nauseous or vomiting are possible side effects. You should allow plenty of time to stay in the recovery room after surgery, until your surgeon and anesthesiologist release you.

Since 2004, The Patients Advantage is fast becoming the largest matchmaker of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world and is recognized as a leading information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery - matching over 10,000 people with plastic surgeons.

For more information log onto: http://www.thepatientsadvantage.com.

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