Dr. George Solomon is an anti-aging expert at AgeLess MediSpa, with specialized training in cosmetic dermatology, cosmetic laser surgery, liposuction, breast augmentation, hair transplant and facial rejuvenation. He is a graduate of Ross University School of Medicine, and completed his residency training through Kansas University. Here, Dr. Solomon tells us how he prefers to handle anesthesia in cosmetic procedure patients.
In year’s past, many women were scared to undergo a cosmetic surgery because of the anesthesia involved. Waking up from general anesthesia is a process nobody enjoys, and that turned a lot of people off from all types of elective procedures, including liposuction.
Thanks to all the progress that has been made with liposuction techniques, however, we can now do any type of liposuction procedure without needing the patient to be put out or go under general anesthesia.
Instead, here at AgeLess MediSpa we do a number of things to help relax our patients first and foremost using oral sedation. So if someone comes in and says she is really anxious about the procedure, then we might start with giving her some oral things to create relaxation—things such as an Ativan or Valium, or other medications like that. Of course, not all of our patients need these types of medications to calm down, and we only offer these as an option if a patient needs them.
In addition to that, we also have pain medication that we can give our patients as well as the oral sedation medications. About a half hour before the procedure is scheduled to begin, we will give the patient any oral sedation medications he requested along with the pain medication needed for the liposuction procedure itself.
I think patients really appreciate being able to undergo liposuction with local anesthesia rather than general anesthesia, because the truth is that nobody liked IV sedation to begin with. In fact, we don’t do any IV sedation or general anesthesia here in my office.
The advantage of the local anesthesia is that the patient is awake during the entire procedure, so he is able to see what is happening as it happens. During the liposuction itself, I am frequently interacting with the patient, and letting him see the results as they are happening. And unlike with general anesthesia, there is no risk of having any blood clots or any complications like that from local anesthesia.
Undergoing general anesthesia is just plan risky, so that is one of the reasons why patients prefer to go with local rather than general. With general anesthesia, there is always the chance of getting a pulmonary embolism or clots in the legs that can lead into the lungs — something that is really scary for a lot of people. There is also a risk of having a bad reaction to the general anesthesia, or a reaction to the anesthesia itself, so that can give patients some extra anxiety and just a bad taste in their mouth about anesthesia in general.
Everyone has heard of someone who has post-anesthesia complications, just basically from laying down for the two to three hours that’s needed under general anesthesia. The feeling after undergoing general anesthesia is not a good feeling, and when you put something in people’s throats, they just hate it. So that is another reason why patients dislike general anesthesia and prefer local anesthesia instead.
Now that we offer local anesthesia to liposuction patients, I think that opens a lot more doors for people who may have been interested in liposuction before but were always too scared of the anesthesia element to go any further with it. Now I’m able to treat many patients, and give them the looks they have always wanted, without any of the side effects from general anesthesia.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
