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We offer an array of anesthesia options depending on the procedure or treatments you are considering. We want to provide you information both for cosmetic surgical procedures and cosmetic dermatology treatments. We tailor our recommendations to your surgery or treatment. You can have input and help to make the final choices in consult with your doctor and with an anesthesiologist, if applicable.
Since our inception in 1988, LJCSC has been committed to the highest
levels of anesthesia services. Long before there were state and federal
mandates, we made the decision to only use board certified anesthesiologists.
This means that our anesthesiologists are fully trained physicians
board certified in the field of Anesthesiology by the American Board of
Medical Specialties (ABMS).
Some surgeons and surgery centers use Certified Registered Nurse
Anesthetists (CNRA's) - registered nurses who have completed
specialized training in anesthesia. CNRA's are certainly competent and
well trained. However, we feel that our patients are safer if we only
use board certified anesthesiologists in our practice and we have done so for over 20 years.
Anesthesia Today
San Diego plastic surgery
operating room
If you're like many patients considering cosmetic surgery, your may have more potential fears about anesthesia risks than the actual surgery.
Anesthesia has grown safer and safer over the years. Indeed anesthesia is 50 times safer than it was in the 1970's. Today, the risk of serious injury from anesthesia is about equivalent
to the risks of serious injury while taking a drive in your car (thus
the risks are statistically low).
Three main factors have contributed to improved overall anesthesia safety:
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The level of training of anesthesiologists
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Advances in monitoring equipment
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Much improved anesthesia drugs
Our Anesthesiologists
Our anesthesiology team at the La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre
has been in place for approximately 15 years. All are board certified
anesthesiologists and several have multiple boards including internal
medicine, pulmonology, intensive care, and cardiology. Additionally,
they all routinely provide anesthesia at a major hospital in San Diego
County. This ensures that they are prepared to deal with patients who
might have other medical factors that need specialized assessment. Dr.
Stuart Young heads our team of anesthesiologists, and our feeling is
that there is not a better team anywhere in the country.
Our board certified anesthesiologists are members of Anesthesia Service
Medical Group, Inc. (ASMG), a highly recognized group of
anesthesiologists in San Diego County founded in 1946. To learn more
about this group of skilled professionals, you can visit their website
at www.asmgmd.com
. Our anesthesiologists are also members of other prestigious medical
organizations such as The American Board of Anesthesiology, the
American Society of Anesthesiologists, the California Medical
Association, and the California Society of Anesthesiologists. You might
like to visit the website of the American Society of Anesthesiologists
at www.asahq.org, as it contains some very helpful patient information on anesthesia.
Anesthesia and Cosmetic Surgery
For almost all cosmetic surgery procedures performed by the plastic
surgeons at LJCSC, one of our board-certified anesthesiologists will be
with you. The two most common types of anesthesia in cosmetic surgery are either monitored sedation (MAC) or general anesthesia.
Monitored sedation (MAC)
For many surgeries, monitored sedation is an ideal anesthetic choice.
Advantages of this method are that you are not "completely out," and
recovery is very smooth and almost never accompanied by nausea.
Procedures that are ideal for this method include nasal surgery, eyelid
surgery, and small areas of liposuction.
If you choose monitored sedation, your anesthesiologist administers sedation intravenously and injects local anesthesia while you are temporarily so drowsy that you will not remember any pain. During the remainder of the operation, your anesthesiologist keeps you sleepy or tranquil so that you do not have any anxiety or restlessness. During the operation, your anesthesiologist monitors your vital signs, just as they would during general anesthesia.
General anesthesia
General anesthesia is utilized for more involved operations such as facelifts, tummy tucks, breast procedures, and standard liposuction. While some people fear general anesthesia, it should be reassuring to know that general anesthesia is 50 times safer today than it was 30 to 40 years ago. A major reason for this positive change is that the monitoring systems used during anesthesia have become exquisitely sensitive. Another major advancement is that post operative nausea and vomiting have been dramatically reduced with the use of new medications and treatment protocols.
The day of your surgery, you meet and talk personally with your anesthesiologist who will be taking care of you in the operating room. Before meeting you, your anesthesiologists reviews your chart thoroughly including your health history and the procedure(s) your surgeon will be performing. Your anesthesiologist will be glad to answer any questions you have about the anesthesia you will be receiving during your surgery.
Each person with you in the operating room has a role. The role of the anesthesiologist is multi-fold. They will not only deliver your anesthesia but will also provide continuing medical assessment of your condition by monitoring vital life functions such as heart rate and blood pressure. They will control your level of unconsciousness and will be there as you awaken in the OR. Their role in your surgical experience is a very important one. That is why we are so committed to high levels of competency in the area of anesthesia.
Anesthesia and Other Treatments and Procedures
Generally, most dermatology procedures and treatments can be performed easily under local anesthesia
without the need to have an anesthesiologist present. Occasionally with laser or hair removal procedures either you or your doctor may choose to have an anesthesiologist present.
To learn more about our facility as well as about our operating room suite, read About Our Centre and Making Sense of Certification.
Learn more about San Diego's La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre:
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