Dr. Cook and The Whole Beauty® Institute Offer the Complete Range of Facial Rejuvenation Surgery Under Local Anesthesia
Many patients who consider facial rejuvenation surgery forego the procedures because they do not want to experience general anesthesia. Over the past few years, we have worked to develop techniques of facial rejuvenation surgery that allow us to rejuvenate all of the major facial zones under local anesthesia.
We now offer our patients the “local option” for a wide range of procedures. These include cheek lifts, jaw border lifts, neck lifts, brow lifts, upper and lower eyelid surgery, and facial fat transfer.
There Are Practical Advantages To Facial Rejuvenation
Under Local Anesthesia
Patients who choose the “local option” tell me that there are several aspects of the experience that they find favorable.
Because this is a local procedure you do not need to fast before the surgery. This means you can have a light breakfast and even a small amount of coffee or tea if you desire. I believe that many of the ill effects of general anesthesia come from the need to fast before surgery; people who are dehydrated, hypoglycemic, and caffeine deprived are not at their best. Local anesthesia avoids this issue.
During the surgery, many patients settle into a gentle nap due to the medications that we give you when you arrive at the office. This provides a more refreshing experience than deeper anesthetic techniques.
After the surgery, the recovery tends to be easier, since you are clearer-headed than you would be if you experienced general anesthesia.
Within Limits We Can Often Combine Several Procedure
Under Local Anesthesia
Often we are able to combine several of these procedures in a single treatment session. One common combination is brow lift with upper eyelid surgery and fat transfer. We also frequently carry out lower face lifts combined with limited lower eyelid surgery and fat transfer.
Facial Rejuvenation Surgery Under Local Anesthesia Is Not For Everyone
If you are generally fearful of medical and dental procedures, I would not recommend carrying out this type of surgery under local anesthesia. Some patients get lightheaded easily in circumstances such as donating blood or in minor medical procedures; this would usually preclude a local anesthetic approach.
Complex surgery around the eyes and certain types of brow lifts require a greater degree of anesthesia than local techniques can provide. Some patients desire an extensive rejuvenation that involves all the major regions of the face, brows, and eyelids, and this will typically require more than a local anesthetic unless the patient is willing to undergo surgery in separate stages.
There Is Good News For Facial Rejuvenation Surgery Patients
Who Require More Than Local Anesthesia
In the vast majority of patients who require more than local anesthesia for facial rejuvenation surgery, we are able to carry out the surgery under a light anesthetic technique known as IV sedation. This means that you will not have a breathing tube through your windpipe and that all your anesthesia is given through your IV. As a rule, there is a much quicker return to a clear-headed state of being after this type of anesthetic than with general anesthesia. We carry out this surgery in a beautiful accredited surgery center a few minutes from our Chicago office.
Facial rejuvenation surgery has been a passion of mine since the earliest days of my practice. There is nothing like the pleasure of hearing a patient tell me that she now feels that her face properly reflects her emotional state and inherent vitality. Our diligent efforts to develop techniques for this surgery that allow for local anesthesia have helped to make the benefits of this wonderful surgery available to a wider range of patients.