Will I need to be put under general anesthetic?

Thanks to advancements in surgery techniques, certain procedures may be performed under general or local anesthesia or a combination of local anesthesia and sedation.

General anesthesia puts the patient completely asleep. The drugs are administered and monitored by a specialist trained in anesthesia. Several techniques are available and the best one will be chosen depending on the operation. Side affects may include sore throat or nausea and vomiting for short periods. In extremely rare cases, patients suffer from an allergic reaction to the drugs used.

Local anesthesia is similar to the type of anesthesia used at the dentist. You will not be put to sleep. A liquid is injected into the area to be operated on, causing it to become numb. Adverse reactions to this type of anesthesia are very rare.

The other type of anesthesia used in Plastic Surgery is called neuroleptic anesthesia, which is a combination of local anesthesia and sedation. Patients are put into a light sleep and receive a tranquilizer to reduce anxiety. It is most commonly used for facial surgery.