Dr. Siegel focuses his practice strictly upon facial surgery. Other than when performing rhinoplasty, facial surgeries are performed with local, and /or twilight anesthesia. The surgery has a quicker recovery time, and avoids the risks associated with general anesthesia.
Difference Between Twilightand General Anesthesia
General anesthesia requires a breathing tube to keep you safe during a procedure. The medication is reversed after surgery so you can awaken and become aware. This doesn’t happen in seconds but takes time. You will be resting in a recovery room where you will gradually become aware, but may feel groggy, have chills, nausea, or even vomiting.
Twilight anesthesia is a different approach, in which the area to be surgically corrected is numbed with injections. For your own comfort, mild intravenous sedation is added, or “twilight” anesthesia. The nerve signals of pain are blocked by the local anesthesia injections, and you will feel relaxed and comfortable under this safer form of anesthesia. The awakening process and recovery are far faster than with general anesthesia, as the medications are shed by the body much faster, as well as putting less stress on all body systems.
Benefits of Local Anesthesiafor Facial Plastic Surgery
We want your experience in facial rejuvenation or enhancement to be positive. The benefits of the use of local anesthesia include:
- Better surgical experience
- Less risk
- Fewer side effects (nausea, vomiting, grogginess)
- No pain or discomfort
- Less invasive
- Safer alternative
- Fewer drugs needed to perform surgery
- Faster recovery
- Reduced risk of complications
- Ventilation not needed
- More cost effective
What is theAnesthesia Experience?
When you are undergoing facial plastic surgery from Dr. Siegel, under twilight sedation, the process is easier to experience. The anesthesiologist will give you a light intravenous sedation to block pain, reduce anxiety, and produce temporary memory loss. You will be sedated, but conscious in what is referred to as a “twilight state.”
You will feel sleepy but able to respond if needed. This is a pain-free surgical experience that is far less stressful on the body, with minimal to no side effects. You will remember little, if any, of the surgical experience once you are taken off the intravenous medications.
You will simply become aware that your face is bandaged and your surgery complete, and free to return home once fully alert. Because the medications used are eliminated quickly, most patients feel back to normal several hours after the procedure, and completely normal after just 24 hours.