Dr. Mandal’s facial rejuvenation practice is micro-specialized in less invasive, quick recovery facial rejuvenation surgery most often performed under local anesthesia. The popularity of less invasive surgery has paralleled the trend in less aggressive anesthesia. Patients are shifting away from general anesthesia and IV sedation (“twilight sleep”) for surgery.

With the evolution of safe and effective local anesthetic techniques, patients can be fully comfortable during surgery without the use of IVs or more aggressive anesthesia. Additional benefits of local anesthesia include reduced downtime, less cost to the patient, and lower overall health risk and side effects. While Dr. Mandal still performs procedures under general anesthesia and IV sedation, local anesthesia is now the preferred choice by the majority of her patients. As such, she commonly uses local anesthesia for most of her less invasive facial rejuvenation surgery.

Benefits Of Local Anesthesia

Compared to general anesthesia and even IV sedation, local anesthesia has important advantages.

• Higher safety profile
• Fewer side effects
• Faster recovery
• Less downtime
• Lower cost

Safe · Effective · Comfortable

Dr. Mandal has performed over 20,000 facial cosmetic surgical procedures using local anesthesia as a very safe, effective, and comfortable option for her patients. When used on good candidates, local anesthesia does not sacrifice patient safety or the quality of the result. However, it is important to appreciate that a mini-facelift under local anesthesia is not for everyone. Patients who require more extensive surgery or have certain medical problems may be better suited for general anesthesia or IV sedation. Similar to the choice of procedure, the type of anesthesia is best determined by your surgeon after a thorough evaluation of your unique situation and needs.

Good Candidates for Local Anesthesia

• Desire to avoid the risks of general anesthesia and IV sedation
• Are not overly anxious
• Can lay flat on their back for the duration of the procedure
• Have no history of urinary frequency
• Have no history of claustrophobia
• Can rotate the head as needed during the procedure
• Can keep the eyes closed during surgery
• Are not allergic to local anesthetic
• Have no other medical contraindications

Surgical Procedures Under Local Anesthetic

All local anesthesia procedures are performed in one of Dr. Mandal’s office surgical suites. Surgical procedures she commonly performs using local anesthesia with or without oral sedation include:

• Blepharoplasty
• Mini-Facelift
• WhisperLift™
• Jowl Lift
• Mini-Necklift
• MyEllevate™
• Face / Neck Liposuction
• Otoplasty
• Ear Lobe Repair
• Skin Cancer Surgery
• Scar Revision Surgery

What Does It Feel Like

A common question asked by Dr. Mandal’s patients is: “What is it like to have a mini-facelift with local anesthesia?” Here are a few testimonials from Dr. Mandal’s patients:

Dr. Mandal is very skilled with her local anesthesia technique. I just can’t believe how comfortable my experience was. I felt a few slight pricks when the lidocaine was administered but after that I had absolutely no pain or discomfort despite the fact that my facial rejuvenation surgery took several hours. I hope to have all of my rejuvenation procedures with local anesthesia in the future. It is so much safer.

Marilyn G., Jupiter, Florida

Dr. Mandal performed a Percutaneous WhisperLift on me using local anesthesia without any IV’s. I fell asleep shortly after I was numbed with the lidocaine. My procedure went smoothly, I woke up refreshed. Best of all, I don’t remember a thing. After my dressing was removed the next day, I drove back home to Naples the following day without any issues.

Susan M., Naples, FL

I had my upper and lower eyelid lift by Dr. Mandal under straight local anesthesia. After the procedure was complete, I wasn’t groggy or nauseated. I remember talking about various subjects unrelated to my surgery during the procedure. I felt relaxed enough to do so.

Kaitlyn S., Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Local Anesthetic Technique

Dr. Mandal’s patients are typically quite pleased with the ease of the local anesthetic procedure. A common patient concern is whether they will feel the anesthetic injection needles. To the surprise of many, the injections are not bad at all. Patients are often orally sedated for extensive local anesthetic injections to further dampen their awareness of any discomfort.

An important part of the local anesthetic process is Dr. Mandal’s injection technique which consists of using a very fine needle, a gentle touch, and a special mixture of a local anesthetic to minimize any discomfort. There is the option of having soothing music played in our surgical suites overlooking a serene marina. Special pillows for your back and neck as well as warm blankets are used to make you comfortable. Since the thought of having any surgical procedure can induce anxiety, an oral sedative is often administered prior to the procedure to help ease nerves. Focus on these little details enables a smoother injection process with a more relaxing and comfortable patient experience.

During surgery, some patients like to engage in conversation. Most, however, drift off to sleep. No pain is typically experienced during an awake-facelift or awake-eyelid lift as local anesthetic can completely deaden pain receptors. It is for this reason that patients feel sufficiently relaxed enough to talk and/or sleep during the procedure. The actual procedure can take between 1 and 4 hours depending on the type of procedure performed.

After the procedure, patients are able to sit up and walk right away. Pain medication is given towards the end of the procedure to allow its effects to kick in well before the local anesthetic wears off. Unlike the downsides of general anesthesia and IV sedation, there is typically no nausea, grogginess, breathing, or urinary side effects. Patients are typically on their way home within 30 min of completion of surgery. Patients often comment on the fact that they either didn’t remember the procedure or have only vague memories.