THE GUTHRIE GUIDE • Expert Answers from dr. ashley guthrie
WHAT TYPE OF ANESTHESIA IS USED FOR A FACELIFT? DR. GUTHRIE EXPLAINS
DR. GUTHRIE EXPLAINS
asleep, pain-free, and still breathing on your own
In this video, Dr. Ashley Guthrie answers one of the questions patients ask most often before
facelift surgery: what kind of anesthesia will be used. She walks through the full range of options, from purely local to general anesthesia with a breathing tube, explains why she chooses IV sedation for her face and
neck lifts, and what that choice means for your comfort during surgery. View the full video transcript below.
key takeaways:
- Facelift anesthesia ranges from purely local, where you are awake and aware, to general anesthesia with a breathing tube.
- No single type is inherently right or wrong. Each has its own pros and cons.
- Dr. Guthrie uses IV sedation, also called deep sedation, similar to what is used for colonoscopies and endoscopies.
- Under IV sedation you are asleep and completely pain-free, but breathing on your own with no breathing tube or anesthesia machine.
- Deep structural face and neck lift work is difficult to perform on a fully awake patient, so sedation supports a more meticulous result.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
In Dr. Ashley Guthrie's Words
On the range of options:
"There are multiple types of anesthesia that can be used, ranging from purely local anesthesia, where you're awake and aware, to general anesthesia with intubation, meaning the use of a breathing tube. There isn't one type that's inherently right or wrong but there are pros and cons to each type."
On what she uses:
"What I choose to use is something called IV sedation or deep sedation. This is similar to what's used for colonoscopies and endoscopies."
On what IV sedation is like:
"With this type of anesthesia you're asleep and completely pain-free but you're still breathing on your own without the use of a breathing tube or an anesthesia machine to breathe for you."
On how it is managed during surgery:
"We are continuously giving you medication through an IV to keep you at just the right level of sleepiness. This type of anesthesia is both very safe and it's very effective."
On why it suits deep structural work:
"With the level of deep structural work that I do in my face and neck lifts, it would be really quite challenging to get you comfortable enough while being completely awake. It's easier for me to do a great job and be really meticulous, take my time, and get everything right when I know you are resting comfortably."
FACELIFT ANESTHESIA
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of anesthesia is used for a facelift?
Dr. Ashley Guthrie explains that facelift anesthesia spans a range, from purely local anesthesia where the patient is awake and aware, through to general anesthesia with intubation. For her own face and neck lifts she uses IV sedation.
Do you have to be put completely under for a facelift?
No. Dr. Ashley Guthrie notes that general anesthesia with a breathing tube is only one of several options, and it is not the one she chooses for her facelift patients.
What is IV sedation?
IV sedation, also called deep sedation, is anesthesia delivered continuously through an IV. Dr. Ashley Guthrie compares it to the sedation used for colonoscopies and endoscopies.
Will I be asleep during my facelift?
Yes. Under IV sedation you are asleep and completely pain-free, while still breathing on your own without a breathing tube or an anesthesia machine breathing for you.
Is IV sedation safe for facelift surgery?
Dr. Ashley Guthrie describes IV sedation as both very safe and very effective, with medication given continuously through an IV to hold you at the right level of sleepiness throughout the procedure.
Why not just use local anesthesia and stay awake?
Dr. Ashley Guthrie explains that with the depth of structural work involved in her face and neck lifts, keeping a fully awake patient comfortable would be challenging, and that a resting patient lets her work more meticulously and take the time the result requires.
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Dr. Ashley Guthrie is a board-certified facial plastic surgeon at Guthrie Facial Plastic Surgery in Brentwood, Tennessee, serving patients throughout the greater Nashville area.
