Rhinoplasty is a popular procedure for men and women because it has the potential to dramatically improve your entire face. If you have a crooked, humped, wide, or bulbous nose, or simply don’t like what nature gave you, there’s a good chance it can be corrected with rhinoplasty.
Because Dr. Siegel specializes in facial plastic surgery and is well-known for his expertise in rhinoplasty, he talks with patients every day about this procedure. One of the most common questions he gets asked is, what kind of anesthesia is used for rhinoplasty?
Local Anesthesia Options
Depending on your individual procedure, local anesthesia may be an option for your procedure. This is usually a good choice if your surgery will be fairly simple and isn’t predicted to take a long time. But, local anesthesia should be paired with twilight sedation to help you sleep through the procedure so you’re not aware of what’s going on. Most surgeons will insist upon a sedation with your local anesthesia because it makes for a more relaxing and enjoyable experience for you. With twilight sedation, however, there is a chance you could have partial awakenings throughout the surgery.
The advantage to using local anesthesia with sedation is you will have a quicker recovery, and it works well for people who tend to have side effects such as nausea from general anesthesia.
General Anesthesia
Many people assume general anesthesia isn’t a desirable choice, but this is not the case. Today’s anesthesia is extremely safe, and most people recover from it easily without significant side effects. General anesthesia allows you to be completely asleep throughout the procedure with no memory of what happened. It also protects you from getting blood or drainage down your throat because you’ll be breathing through intubation (a tube).
Many people are pleasantly surprised to discover that general anesthesia was a great experience. But if you’ve had problems with general anesthesia in the past, be sure to discuss this with your surgeon.
Making the Decision
You and your surgeon should discuss anesthesia options at the surgical consultation. This is not a decision you should make on your own. An experienced plastic surgeon will be able to tell you which option he or she recommends for you, and why. But, he or she should also take into account your wishes and comfort level, and what type of surgery you need.
Your nose is perhaps the most important feature on your face. Don’t trust it to just anyone. When you choose a skilled, double board-certified facial plastic surgeon like Dr. Michel Siegel, you can be assured that your entire rhinoplasty experience will be the best it can be.
Ready to learn more about rhinoplasty and how Dr. Siegel can help you? Call our Houston office for a consultation today!