If you have been thinking about having cosmetic surgery, you’ve probably devoted a lot of time to thinking about the benefits and possible risks of the procedure. One aspect of surgery your may have overlooked is the matter of anesthesia. Most surgery requires some form of anesthesia for pain relief.

Before you have any type of cosmetic procedure, you should learn more about the type of anesthesia you will need and what using that kind of pain relief will mean. There are three different types of anesthesia that may be used during cosmetic surgery:

• Local
• Regional
• General

What is Local Anesthesia?

Local anesthesia involves injecting a numbing agent into a localized area. The area that will be affected by the surgery receives anesthesia to block pain sensation. Local anesthesia is only used during surgeries that are fairly minor and that only involve a small area of the body. In many cases, you will be able to remain awake and alert during the procedure. However, some surgeries require the use of sedation that will allow you to relax or even sleep through the surgery.

Read the rest of this entry »