If you are one of those individuals who are thinking of having rhinoplasty done or researching information on it, then you should also be aware of the types of anesthesia that will be used in the surgery. Rhinoplasty is very quick surgery, but can also last a long time. During the period of the surgery you need to be free from pain and relaxed and this is where anesthesia comes into play.

Depending upon the extent of the work to be done, rhinoplasty can be performed either using local anesthesia or using general anesthesia. Your plastic surgeon may ask you which you prefer.

When it comes to the nose job anesthesia may be administered by an anesthesiologist, the plastic surgeon or a certified registered nurse-anesthetist (CRNA). It is highly recommended that you find out before hand who will be administering the anesthesia, their qualifications and what type of anesthesia (local or general) will be used.

Rhinoplasty Anesthesia: Local, Regional or General

When it comes to anesthesia for nose jobs, the doctor will generally ask the patient which one they prefer, local, regional or general. Sometimes the surgeon may have a preference in what he likes to work with. You should note that if your are going in for a minor nose job, such as reshaping, then more than likely you will given local anesthetic. If more work needs to be done, then general anesthesia will be used.

Local anesthesia – The treated area will be anesthetized and this is accomplished through the use of topical or injected local anesthetic. The patient will be sedated and the area numb, but they will be awake during the surgery. They wont feel anything and possibly wont remember anything.

Regional anesthesia – The area of the body will be numbed with the use of anesthetic that is injected.

General anesthesia – The patient will be sedated or put completely to sleep. They wont feel anything or remember anything related to the surgery.

Complications and Risks Associated with Anesthesia

The use of anesthesia is proven to be extremely safe, especially when someone has proficient training to administer it. Even though it is very safe, there is still some amount of risk associated with its use. There have been people who have died or have been seriously injured due to its use. This have occurred when the anesthesia was administered properly and there were no significant illness or disease associated with the person.

More serious problems with anesthesia and nose jobs are often regulated to general anesthesia. This is not always the case as it can also happen under local.

•          Problems can arise if you have an allergic reaction to one of the different medications that are used.
•          You could have spasms in the throat which could block your ability to breathe
•          You could vomit and suffocate
•          The breathing tube that is inserted could cause damage to the throat.
•          You could also suffer a heart attack. 

The risks of something going wrong under anesthesia for rhinoplasty is very small. Problems possibly could occur if you have some type of respiratory or heart problem. If you smoke there is also an increased chance that problems could occur, compared to people who are not smokers.

It should be noted that the majority of people who have a nose job with anesthesia are ok. The risks are there, even though small.

Drug Interactions With Anesthesia

It is very important that before the surgery and anesthesia is administered that the surgeon is told of the various drug medications that you are taking. These would include medicines, recreational drugs, supplements and vitamins.

This is extremely important as there are many different drugs that often interact with anesthetics. The results may differ as some drugs may intensify the effects of the anesthesia, while others can weaken it. Regardless each situation is not good. If the surgeon or anesthesiologist knows about the drugs then they can make adjustments as to the level that is given to you.

Specific types of antidepressant drugs known as monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors are known to interact negatively with anesthesia. It is important for the doctor to know if you had been taking these drugs, even weeks before. Even after being off them for an extended period of time, they can still have an interaction.