Anesthesia
General anesthesia is used to anesthetize patients for painful surgical procedures. During the operation, you won’t feel any pain and will be under the watchful eye of an anesthesiologist. General anesthesia is administered by the anesthesiologist either injecting drugs into your veins or having you inhale gas (via tube) – or both. After respiratory support is provided, the surgery can begin.
Where Are The Surgeries Involving General Anesthesia Performed? Is It Safe?
Surgeries involving general anesthesia are performed at any full-fledged hospital authorized by the Ministry of Health (in Turkey).
And yes, general anesthesia is both safe and successful – thanks to the existing drugs and technology!
Which Plastic Surgeries Feature General Anesthesia?
- Rhinoplasty
- Mammoplasty for women (breast reduction, augmentation, lifting)
- Gynecomasty for men (female breast augmentation)
- Gluteoplasty (bbl, butt implants)
- Body shaping via liposuction
- Postbariatric surgery (abdomen, thigh, arm, 360 total body lift)
- Face lift
- Blepharoplasty
- Genital aesthetics (women and men)
- Otoplasty (for children aged between 6 and 13)
- Almond eye aesthetics
- Brow lift
- Genioplasty (implant, shaping)
What Do I Need To Keep In Mind Before General Anesthesia? How Should I Come To The Hospital?
First, Dr. Ozsular will have you go for several tests and analyses a few days before the surgery. He may tell you to temporarily stop using certain medications – in which case you should do so as stated by him. If you actively take aspirin or any form of anticoagulant, tell your doctor and continue only if he tells you to do so.
Routine prep work for the anesthesia is done 1 – 2 days before the scheduled date of your surgery.
You are allowed to eat as well as drink water until 00:00 (12 AM) the night before your surgery. You will need to fast (including no water) for at least six hours prior to the procedure. (If you forget to do so, your surgery may be postponed or canceled.)
Don’t forget to take warm shower before you sleep the night before the surgery, and don’t put on make-up or hair gel.
Don’t wear nail polish or enamel or fashion nails.
Don’t wear wigs. Don’t wear any jewelry (including piercings) – your body should be free of metal.
Also, don’t forget to put together an overnight bag – including loose clothes (preferably with zippers/buttons), shoes, etc. – before you come in for surgery.
The Procedure Day
When you arrive at the hospital an hour before the operation, you will be taken to your room to rest until your surgery. Dr. Ozsular and his assistant will come and visit you.
You’ll be taken to the operation room when it’s time for surgery, and wake up with a brand new nose, breasts, or even body.
Post-Surgery
You will be placed into a corset (if necessary) and bandaged whilst asleep. You may feel dizzy and drowsy for the first few hours after you wake up – this is normal and temporary. Some patients report experiencing slight nausea.
About 4 to 6 hours after surgery, you’ll be able to start eating by drinking a light soup.
You don’t feel any pain when you wake up because you’ll be under the effect of analgesics.
After the operation, Dr. Ozsular will visit you, and inform you about how your surgery went.
Please take all of Dr. Ozsular’s orders after surgery seriously.
Are General Anesthesia And Being Asleep The Same Thing?
No. Whilst they both resemble one another, they are not the same thing. When asleep, all it takes is a strong stimulant to wake you up. When you’re under general anesthesia, only your anesthesiologist can wake you up upon doctor’s orders.
Does General Anesthesia Come With Risks?
Nothing in medicine doesn’t come without risks! Mind you, the same applies to life too – driving a car, crossing the street, and even sitting at home all come with their own risks, too. But none of the above stops us from living and enjoying life. Anesthesia is no different!
General anesthesia is widely used in all branches of surgery, not just plastic. Existing anesthetic drugs and developing technology – not to mention a doctor’s meticulous hands – allow millions of patients around the world to get safely anesthetized and re-awakened every day.
As its name suggests, local anesthesıa is a locally applied (i.e. regional) type of anesthesia. Specialists prefer to use them in minor operations.
Injection
Some local anesthetics get injected via thin needle into your subcutaneous tissue, where the surgery is to be performed, to numb it. This can include a nerve trace to block the nerve. It takes effect almost immediately once done. It loses its effect after a while – namely when the active substance in it dissolves, thus causing your pain and aches to return. How long it takes effect for depends on how much is used and when it takes action. You don’t need to fast or have any prep done beforehand.
During such procedures, you are conscious but won’t feel any pain.
Creams And Solutions
Other local anesthetics take the form of creams or solutions that numb your skin superficially due to the active ingredients in them. As they only have a short effect time, they are therefore intended to reduce the severity of already minimal pain during small- injection procedures (e.g. Botox and fillers). You are conscious. Hence, you don’t need to fast or have any prep done beforehand.
Severe pain from major surgeries can affect patients both psychologically and physically. Epidural anesthesia is the most effective form of anesthesia you can have done when you wake up from surgery. It, moreover, makes you more comfortable after surgery – allowing you to walk, fulfill your needs, and rest without pain.
Epidural anesthesia is applied when you’re still asleep – thus you won’t feel catheters in your waist later on. An anesthesiologist will determine beforehand manually where to do this, and clean this area with an antiseptic solution. Next, he gently pushes the needle in until it reaches your epidural cavity (via the correct insertion point). Then, the needle gets immobilized, and a thin plastic catheter gets passed through it. The needle is removed and the catheter is fixed. At the end of the surgery, anesthesia is administered from the fixed catheter Thus, a full anesthesia is provided before you wake up.
Your body will go numb wherever you get the epidural – namely your abdomen, the lower part of your thorax, or your legs (albeit they’ll still be warm). Epidural anesthesia is meant to block your pain conduction and sense of touch, but they won’t limit your mobility.
Thus, you won’t feel any pain or ache when you come around. Afterwards, you’ll continue to get local analgesics intermittently with specific doses for the first few days (48 hours in general) via a small remote control attached to your catheter.
Advantages Of Epidural Anesthesia
With epidural anesthesia:
- You won’t feel pain when you wake from surgery.
- You’ll be comfortable after surgery.
- You’ll be able to move around without being in pain.
- Your bowel movements will return to normal, and more quickly.
- You’ll recover quicker.
- You’ll feel more positive and motivated.
Epidural anesthesia is reliable and successful – when administered by a specialist anesthesiologist!
Which Surgeries Feature Epidural Anesthesia?
- Any surgery conducted on your waist, abdomen, butt, or legs
- Full abdominoplasty
- Mini abdominoplasty
- Thigh lift
- 360 total body lift
Sedation anesthesia essentially puts you temporarily to sleep via specific drugs injected into your veins. However, it is not to be confused with general anesthesia – the two are different procedure and have different details. Nevertheless, preparation for both is the same. You’ll need to fast for six hours (including no water) beforehand.
How Should I Come To The Hospital Before The Procedure?
First, Dr. Ozsular will have you go for several tests and analyses a few days before the surgery. He may tell you to temporarily stop using certain medications – in which case you should do so as stated by him. If you actively take aspirin or any form of anticoagulant, tell your doctor and continue only if he tells you to do so.
Routine prep work for the anesthesia is done 1 – 2 days before the scheduled date of your surgery.
You are allowed to eat as well as drink water until 00:00 (12 AM) the night before your surgery. You will need to fast (including no water) for at least six hours prior to the procedure. (If you forget to do so, your surgery may be postponed or canceled.)
Don’t forget to take warm shower before you sleep the night before the surgery, and don’t put on make-up or hair gel.
Don’t wear nail polish or enamel, or fashion nails.
Don’t wear wigs. Don’t wear any jewelry (including piercings) – your body should be free of metal.
Also, don’t forget to put together an overnight bag – including loose clothes (preferably with zippers/buttons), shoes, etc. – before you come in for surgery.
The Procedure
On the morning of the operation at the hospital, you will be taken to your room to rest until your surgery. Dr. Ozsular and his assistant will come and visit you.
When it’s time for your operation, the anesthesiologist will come in and anesthetize you via your veins – you will fall asleep slowly.
Sedation anesthesia is done for procedures that last between 10 and 40 minutes.
After surgery, your wounds will be dressed, and you’ll be slowly woken up.
It’s normal to feel slightly dizzy when you come to. Worry not, you’ll return to normal within half an hour.
You’ll be allowed to eat (generally something light) 30 minutes to 1 hour after surgery and then rest again.
If you feel better after your doctor examines you again, you can be discharged from the hospital and go home.
In Which Operations Can Sedation Anesthesia Be Applied?
- Otoplasty
- Blepharoplasty
- Lip lift
- Minor local liposuction procedures
- Additional procedures for correction and interventional purposes
Patients are awake when they undergo spinal anesthesia. You’ll be able to hear everything and express yourself, but you won’t feel any pain. Spinal anesthesia is preferred in surgeries that take place below the umbilicus (i.e. your lower torso).
During spinal anesthesia, the drug will then be injected into you via a catheter. An anesthesiologist will determine beforehand manually where to do this, and clean this area with an antiseptic solution. Next, He gently pushes the needle in until it reaches your spinal cavity (via the correct insertion point). Then, the needle gets immobilized, and a thin plastic catheter gets passed through it and fixed. Afterwards, the needle is removed and the anesthetic is fed into via the catheter. The anesthetic will take full effect roughly 10 to 20 minutes thereafter – your lower body will be completely numb. The anesthesiologist will monitor your status continuously right to the end of the procedure. Once it has been determined that your lower body is completely numb, then surgery can begin!
At the end of the procedure, the doctor will remove your catheter, and follow up on your condition afterwards.
Is Spinal Anesthesia Safe?
Yes, they are. Modern medicine and advancements in technology have rendered it a very successful and reliable method. Anesthesiologists trust them and use them widely. That said, just as with anesthesia methods, spinal anesthesia too comes with its own set of risks.
Which Plastic Surgeries Feature Spinal Anesthesia?
- Mini abdominoplasty
- Thigh (leg) lift
- Leg liposuction, butt liposuction, lower stomach liposuction
- Bbl (Brazilian butt lift)
- Butt implants
- Lower leg shaping
- Genital aesthetics (female & male)
Where Are Surgeries Involving Spinal Anesthesia Performed?
Surgeries involving spinal anesthesia are performed by a professional anesthesiologist at any full-fledged hospital authorized by the Ministry of Health (in Turkey).
What Do I Need To Keep In Mind Before The Procedure? How Should I Come To The Hospital?
First, Dr. Ozsular will have you go for several tests and analyses a few days before the surgery. He may tell you to temporarily stop using certain medications – in which case you should do so as stated by him. If you actively take aspirin or any form of anticoagulant, tell your doctor and continue only if he tells you to do so.
Routine prep work for the anesthesia is done 1 – 2 days before the scheduled date of your surgery.
Try to reduce how much salt you consume as well a few days before the surgery. This will reduce your risk of developing edema.
You are allowed to eat as well as drink water until 00:00 (12 AM) the night before your surgery. You will need to fast (including no water) for at least six hours prior to the procedure. (If you forget to do so, your surgery may be postponed or canceled.)
Don’t forget to take warm shower before you sleep the night before the surgery, and don’t put on make-up or hair gel.
Don’t wear nail polish or enamel or fashion nails.
Don’t wear wigs. Don’t wear any jewelry (including piercings) – your body should be free of metal.
Also, don’t forget to put together an overnight bag – including loose clothes (preferably with zippers/buttons), shoes, etc. – before you come in for surgery.
