Anaesthesia for cosmetic surgery

Anaesthesia is an important component of cosmetic surgery.  Many people consider having cosmetic surgery (plastic surgery) are unaware of what anaesthesia actually involves and what options are available to them. In this article we hope to provide you with answers to some of the common questions regarding anaesthesia in relation to cosmetic surgery.

What is anaesthesia?

Although there are a number of definitions of anaesthesia, it is generally defined as the process of having our sensations reversibly blocked (e.g. our sensation of pain) which allows us to undergo surgery or other medical procedures without distress and pain.

Depending on the extent of their affects on the body, anaesthetics are often classified as general anaesthetics or local anaesthetics.

General anaesthesia: general anaesthetics cause a complete reversible loss of consciousness for a certain period of time. During this time period patients are not arousable by any type of external stimulus, including pain. General anaesthesia is generally the most suitable form of anaesthesia for major plastic surgery procedures such as major liposuction and breast augmentation surgery which involves the insertion of breast implants.

Regional anaesthesia: regional anaesthesia do not cause a complete loss of consciousness like general anaesthetics. Regional anaesthetics have a more localised effect which cause a loss of pain sensation with varying degrees of muscle relaxation which affects only certain targeted regions of the body. Regional anaesthetics which have very localised affects are also commonly referred to as local anaesthetics.  Local anaesthetics are commonly used for smaller and less invasive cosmetic surgery procedures such as lip augmentation and liposuction on a small area of the body.

In general, local anaesthesia has lower recovery times and lower complication risks than general anaesthesia. However due to its localised affects it is often not suitable for larger surgeries which require a general anaesthetic to effectively eliminate the pain and distress which would otherwise be associated with the surgery.

Which type of anaesthesia is suitable for me?

There are a number of different types of anaesthesia used to perform cosmetic surgery. Which type will be suitable for you will depend on the type of plastic surgery you are thinking about having and your general health and fitness levels. Hence to make an informed decision as whether to proceed with the cosmetic surgery procedure you are considering it is important that you discuss the matter of anaesthesia in depth with you cosmetic surgeon and also with an anaesthetist if required.