Beauty Doc Blog

Wed.May.28

For those new to plastic surgery, or any kind of surgical procedure for that matter, there is some confusion as to the difference between local and general anesthesia. For a large number of plastic surgery procedures, one or the other is required.

A local anesthetic deadens and takes away feeling, or reduces feeling in one part of the body, generally the part being worked on. A patient undergoing plastic surgery using a local anesthetic will be fully awake throughout the procedure. A general anesthetic will require the services of an anesthesiologist. A general anesthetic will “put you out” or put you to sleep through artificial means.

General Anesthesia Blocks The Pain

General: anesthesia results in blocking of pain and amnesia during the procedure but it also causes a a loss of protective airway reflexes. For this reason and safety sake the patient is closely monitored by someone who specializes in anesthesia. Usually administered with inhalation agents, general anesthesia can also be done intravenously. While once considered a risky procedure, it is safe for most people today. In fact, recent studies show that general anesthesia today is fifty times safer than it was just twenty years ago. Quite an improvement in a short period of time.

The Roots of General Anesthesia

General anesthesia has been with us in something resembling its modern form since the 1900’s. The first widespread use of general anesthesia was with carbon dioxide. It wasn’t long before experiments led to the use of nitrous oxide, often called laughing gas, and to ether and chloroform. Today’s anesthetics are much safer and better controlled.

Make An Educated Choice with your Plastic Surgeon

Local anesthesia is much less complicated and has a quite colorful history. In ancient times the Incas had patients chew cocoa leaves for an anesthetic effect. The ancient Greeks used opium, and even the ancient Persians have legends of special wines used to kill pain. In more modern times, the first widely used local anesthetic was cocaine, which was commonly used by dentists to numb the area of a tooth that needed work. Today’s doctors have a wide variety of choices in local anesthetics and the medication will vary depending on the patient and their particular cosmetic surgical needs. Some patients have allergies to certain medications, for instance. Your plastic surgeon will share their knowledge and opinions with you, let you know what method is preferred for your procedure and help you make a competent decision on the type of anesthesia to use, whether it is local or general.