What are Twilight Anesthesia & Conscious IV Sedation for Rhinoplasty?

Dr. Buonassisi is a Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon and rhinoplasty specialist based in Vancouver, Canada with 20 years experience performing this procedure. In this video, he speaks with his patient Ola before her surgery to assure her one last time of her decision to choose IV sedation—twilight anesthesia or conscious sedation—as a safe and comfortable level of anesthesia for rhinoplasty. A common question from patients considering the cosmetic nasal surgery, he answers: What are twilight anesthesia and conscious sedation for rhinoplasty?

‍Different anesthesia options for a painless and comfortable operation are available for those undergoing rhinoplasty surgery, including general anesthesia and IV sedation. Both are offered for surgery with 8 West Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Skin Clinic. While the former is the widely known method in which the patient is completely unconscious during surgery, the latter is very much described by its alternate names of twilight anesthesia and conscious sedation, where the patient is in a "conscious sleep" akin to a "twilight" stage between night and day. With a number of benefits over general anesthesia, IV sedation has been the option of choice for approximately 98% of Dr. Buonassisi's rhinoplasty surgery patients.

Download Dr. Buonassisi's Free Essential Guide to Rhinoplasty eBook

Before we continue on about the benefits of IV sedation for rhinoplasty and the reasons it is the more favoured anesthetic option, we would like to mention that at 8 West Clinic, we believe at the forefront that educated patients are happy patients, and this is why Dr. Buonassisi has compiled his 20 years experience performing rhinoplasty into a must read eBook. This is an essential tool for anyone considering cosmetic nasal surgery. Download your free copy now.

Have questions? Our team of experts is here to help. Speak to one of our patient care managers today by calling (604) 733-1669 or contact us here.

The Benefits of Rhinoplasty Under IV Sedation (Twilight Anesthesia or Conscious Sedation)

With such a high rate of patients opting for rhinoplasty with IV sedation over general anesthesia, there are sure benefits to the method that is widely used by many surgeons:

Though the patient is conscious and can respond to speech and touch, they are in an extremely relaxed, sedated state and are able to calmly comply to ensure the smoothest possible procedure.
The patient will often not have much memory, if at all, of the procedure being done. Many will say they feel that their rhinoplasty surgery was completed in a snap.
The anesthesia is administered with a simple intravenous drip that kicks in quickly, before the injection of local freezing to the nose—an area that is easy to effectively freeze. Without the need for an endotracheal tube to facilitate breathing ability as with general anesthesia, the patient's throat remains comfortable.
The positioning of the head can, as well, remain natural without the presence of an obstructing tube in the mouth, as with general anesthesia. This means Dr. Buonassisi will be better able to make the desired nasal changes according to the face's natural, neutral positioning.
Recovery from sedation post-procedure is fairly quick, and the patient will be able to go about their day again shortly after their rhinoplasty surgery (following the proper post-operative instructions, of course).
Because there is no need for an anesthesiologist—a wonderful anesthetic nurse will still be by your side to monitor and comfort you through the procedure from start to finish—patients will find that the cost of rhinoplasty with IV sedation is much more economical.

Overall, IV sedation (twilight anesthesia, or conscious sedation) is an ideal method of anesthesia for rhinoplasty surgery over general anesthesia. With a simpler administration, the anesthesia is safer and less risky, highly effective in keeping patients comfortable and pain-free, and it is a breeze to recover from. It also allows for a quicker procedure time and can play into getting as close as possible to the best results achievable out of your rhinoplasty surgery. However, IV sedation may not be the anesthetic method of choice for everyone after assessment of each individual patient, and general anesthesia may be the better option. Dr. Buonassisi is happy to speak more about your options with you in your rhinoplasty consultation at Vancouver's 8 West Clinic.

Get the conversation started with Dr. Buonassisi's patient care team at 8 West Clinic by requesting a complimentary pre-consultation. Submit your inquiry online, or call us directly at (604) 733-1669.