IV Sedation Controls Pain While Allowing Surgery Patients to Remain Alert
Posted: Thursday, October 29, 2009
by Dave Stringham
LookingYourBest.com
Across America, candidates for cosmetic surgery are asking about Twilight Sleep (or IV sedation), and whether it is preferable to general anesthetic.
The numbers released by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) show a meteoric rise in cosmetic and plastic surgery between 1997 and 2008, so it should come as no surprise that more and more men and women are asking about the methods used to alleviate pain during surgery. We rely on our medical professionals to know and use the safest and most reliable methods for controlling pain during surgery, and it seems that more than a few doctors are expressing preference for what some call twilight sleep surgery.
As surgery goes, one of the fundamental differences between general anesthesia and IV sedation is that the latter allows patients to be relatively alert, even for fairly invasive work. While at first the thought of being awake while a surgeon cuts, pokes and sews may seem like the stuff of horror movies, consider the fact that being "completely under" does not guarantee protection from pain. Cases have been recorded where patients under general anesthesia did experience pain, but were unable to make it known. With IV sedation, the flow of information between doctor and patient can be maintained.
Another difference is that the patient retains control of his or her own breathing under twilight sleep, as opposed to the endotrachial tube used by the anesthesiologist to take over that function for general anesthetic. Certain potential complications which arise specifically from the tube are, of course, avoided with IV sedation, and recovery time in general is shorter as well.Some sites state procedures that used to require an overnight hospital stay can now be performed without the hospital in certified outpatient locations.
Some plastic surgeons prefers twilight sleep anesthesia...because patients are less likely to get sick, patients can be asked to sit upright during surgery [to verify that work performed will have the desired effect], and the plastic surgeon can communicate with patients if necessary. Patients usually leave within three hours of arrival at our facility.
Intravenous sedation is not for everyone. Certainly there will be some who simply will not be comfortable being alert and aware while undergoing surgical procedures. IV sedation is also still a relatively new technique, making it a good idea to ensure that the attending physicians have as much experience with it as possible. Perhaps the most important thing, in the end, is to make sure that both the patient and the doctor are comfortable with the decisions that are made.
--------
The President of LookingYourBest.com, Dave Stringham offers information on plastic surgery and plastic surgery procedures including breast augmentation, breast lift, breast implants, and breast reconstruction.
This Article has been viewed 379 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.