Cosmetic Surgery Anesthesia
Today anesthesia is safer and less stressful than ever before. Fortunately, newly developed, short-acting anesthetic drugs and highly specialized techniques give patients having cosmetic surgery a lower risk of anesthesia-associated problems and a shorter recovery time.
As one of the more accomplished doctors in the Los Angeles area, Dr. Daniel H. Lin is dedicated to enhancing his patients’ appearance and self-image through advanced facial cosmetic surgery procedures. From his state-of-the-art facility, located in West Covina, CA (serving areas in and around Chino, Rowland Heights, Baldwin Park, Whittier, Brea, Arcadia, Inland Empire and San Gabriel Valley) Shine Cosmetic Surgery, Dr. Lin offers a number of treatments that reduce the signs of aging while emphasizing the natural beauty of your face. Dr. Lin also provides reconstructive surgery for people who have had the misfortune of experiencing an injury, accident, congenital deformity, trauma, or other medical condition and he is proud to deliver the latest surgical techniques and technologies. In order to bring exceptional results in the safest manner possible, Dr. Lin focuses on the comfort of his patients and this includes how he approaches cosmetic anesthesia for his surgery patients.
Many doctors make the mistake of using a “one size fits all” approach when it comes to anesthesia but Dr. Lin is unique because he customizes the anesthesia needs for each individual patient.
The common types of anesthesia include:
- Local Anesthesia: Local anesthesia is a type of anesthesia used to numb a particular area of the body or face and unlike general anesthesia; local anesthesia does not induce sleep. Instead, the patient will remain awake with local anesthesia but they will not have any sensation in the anesthetized area and the numbness will wear off shortly after the procedure. Local anesthesia is typically used in surgical procedures that involve a small area and do not require more than a few hours of surgery. Local anesthesia can be administered in the form of an injection, cream, or spray and it is an excellent choice for most facial cosmetic procedures including chemical peels and laser skin resurfacing.
- Intravenous Sedation: IV Sedation, otherwise known as “twilight” anesthesia, is sedation delivered through an intravenous line. IV Sedation will induce a state of deep relaxation and patients will not know what is going on around them. After IV Sedation, most patients do not recall the events that occurred during their surgery since the medications used in IV sedation produces either partial or full memory loss. This subsides quickly after the IV sedation is removed however.
- Anesthesia Care (MAC): MAC combines sedation and anesthesia with continuous monitoring. With this procedure, the patient is more comfortable and less prone to anxiety. An anesthesia provider, solely dedicated to the care of the patient, will administer anesthesia care by continuously monitoring the patient’s vital signs and oxygen.
- General Anesthesia: General anesthesia uses intravenous medications and inhaled anesthetic gases to place the patient in a controlled state of unconsciousness or a “deep sleep”. Anesthesiologists administer this type of anesthesia and use advanced monitoring equipment to track the patient’s major bodily functions to ensure the drugs are administered in the proper amounts.
For patients who prefer deeper level of anesthesia, our board certified anesthesiologists utilize the intravenous sedation method developed by Dr. Barry Friedberg. Dr. Friedberg believes that, “If you, or someone you love, is considering surgery, undoubtedly there are many things that may be worrying you. Your anesthesia need not be one of them.” Dr. Friedberg has been a board certified anesthesiologist for over three decades and when you view his website, you will find information that is “clear, understandable, and, best of all, reassuring that you will have a very positive, worry-free experience with your anesthesia.”
In the past, doctors have relied on monitoring your vital signs to determine how you were doing during surgery. Although helpful, these signs did not directly indicate what was going on with the one organ that is anesthetically medicated: your brain. As a result, your anesthesiologist could not be certain at what level of consciousness you were experiencing and this created risks such as administering too little or too much anesthesia.
In 1992, Dr. Friedberg developed The Friedberg Method that he later enhanced with the addition of the brain monitor in 1997. Termed as the “Friedberg Method of Goldilocks Anesthesia,” Dr. Friedberg implemented the additional monitor so he could observe how his patients were functioning under anesthesia. With the brain monitor, he could see what degree of “sleep” his patients were experiencing and based on that critical information, along with the usual monitoring of vital signs and blood oxygen levels, he knew the proper amount of anesthetic necessary to keep his patients comfortable. The Friedberg Method of Goldilocks Anesthesia method allows anesthesiologists from around the world to confidently dispense the precise dosage of anesthesia to their patients and for introducing this technique to wounded soldiers on the combat field, Dr. Friedberg received a United States Congressional award.
One of the most common and unpleasant anesthesia after-effects is postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). With the Friedberg Method of Goldilocks Anesthesia, a combination of two highly effective non-narcotic anesthetics (propofol and ketamine) are used and neither of these substances produces PONV. This allows patients to wake up quickly after their procedure with no unpleasant anesthesia side effects. The Friedberg Method of Goldilocks Anesthesia is backed up by years of reproducible experiences and Shine Cosmetic Surgery is proud to have Dr. Friedberg on their team.
Whether you should undergo your cosmetic surgery using local or intravenous sedation anesthesia will be determined during a consultation with Dr. Lin. If you are nervous about your surgery and would prefer not to remember anything about your procedure, you need to let Dr. Lin know so he will be able to determine the best anesthesia option for you.
If you have been considering cosmetic surgery and you would like to learn more about all of your anesthesia options, please call Shine Cosmetic Surgery today and we look forward to answering any questions you might have.