Plastic Surgery Under Local Anesthesia in Los Angeles

Awake Plastic Surgery at Dr. Kenneth Kim Plastic Surgery is an advanced approach to plastic surgery that uses local anesthesia only—without the use of general anesthesia or intravenous sedation, commonly referred to as twilight sedation or conscious sedation.

The technique avoids the complications of placing the patient completely under general anesthesia. Typical sedation can cause patients to be oversedated. And this can cause them to not breathe enough to oxygenate the brain and the vital organs. Awake Anesthesia is safer and less invasive than the anesthetic alternatives, so the patient recovers more quickly, and the results are more attractive.

Dr. Kenneth Kim is a leading expert in true awake plastic surgery using only local anesthesia. This specialized approach is used for both face and body procedures to improve patient safety, support a smoother recovery, and achieve natural-looking results.

About Anesthesia

Many people aren’t aware that the potential complications associated with general anesthesia are some of the more precarious propositions in major surgery. It can also place undue strain on the patient. Dr. Kim understands that the risks and complications linked to general anesthesia and deep sedation are not optimal for many elective procedures.

In fact, in some surgical scenarios, the riskiest part of the operation is the general anesthesia.^[1]That is why Dr. Kim pursued an advanced and safer approach to plastic surgery. Although mortality rates are extremely low for cosmetic procedures, a study determining the safety of office‐based surgery found that more than two-thirds of deaths and three-quarters of hospital transfers were associated with cosmetic procedures performed under general anesthesia.

AWAKE ANESTHESIA IS A BETTER WAY

Plastic surgery with local anesthesia is known as Awake Plastic Surgery. Dr. Kim has been performing awake plastic surgery for over 18 years for procedures including upper blepharoplasty, lower blepharoplasty, eyelid ptosis correction, facelift, neck lift, rhinoplasty, brow lift, breast surgery, abdominoplasty and more. Today, doctors across the United States are beginning to see what Dr. Kim has understood for a long time: Awake plastic surgery is one of the safest approaches to plastic surgery compared to traditional methods using general anesthesia or IV sedation.

To learn more about Dr. Kim’s awake approach and whether awake plastic surgery under local anesthesia may be appropriate for you, contact Dr. Kenneth Kim Plastic Surgery to schedule a consultation. You can call us at (213) 700-4297

Benefits of Awake Plastic Surgery Under Local Anesthesia

Awake plastic surgery performed under local anesthesia is a carefully controlled and precise approach designed to enhance patient safety while supporting a smoother surgical experience and recovery. During true awake plastic surgery, patients remain fully awake and mentally alert without the use of general anesthesia or intravenous sedation.

Local anesthesia is used to effectively numb the surgical area, allowing patients to remain comfortable while awake and responsive throughout the procedure. By avoiding general anesthesia and sedation, patients may reduce exposure to the systemic side effects commonly associated with these medications, such as nausea and vomiting, grogginess, brain fog, prolonged recovery, and potential cognitive effects, including memory loss.

Because local anesthesia works directly on the affected nerve endings, patients often experience less postoperative discomfort compared with procedures performed under general anesthesia. Many patients report that postoperative pain is mild and can be managed with acetaminophen, without the need for stronger pain medications.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LOCAL AND GENERAL ANESTHESIA?

General anesthesia places the patient fully unconscious during surgery and affects the entire body. Because patients are put under, breathing and other vital functions must be continuously monitored and supported throughout the procedure, and recovery often taken longer for many patients.

Local anesthesia, by contrast, numbs only the specific area being treated while allowing patients to remain fully awake. During awake plastic surgery, no general anesthesia or intravenous sedation is used. Patients breathe normally on their own and are able to communicate comfortably with the plastic surgeon during the procedure.

This targeted approach allows surgery to be performed while avoiding many of the whole-body effects associated with general anesthesia and sedation.

Read the article that speaks to the risks of general anesthesia:

https://www.medicinenet.com/joan_rivers_endoscopy_and_anesthesia_risks/views.htm

Advantages of Awake Anesthesia

Awake patients don’t require a breathing tube
They are responsive to their surgeon’s instructions, which makes for a smoother procedure
With local anesthesia, patients report feeling less pain after the procedure
General anesthesia has post-surgical side effects, like dizziness, nausea and constipation

Who Is a Candidate for Awake Plastic Surgery?

Many patients are suitable candidates for awake plastic surgery performed under local anesthesia. In fact, this approach may be particularly well-suited for individuals who wish to avoid general anesthesia and for those who may be at increased risk of anesthesia-related side effects or complications.

During a personalized consultation, Dr. Kenneth Kim will evaluate patients’ medical history, anatomy, and surgical goals to determine whether awake plastic surgery is an appropriate option. Because this technique avoids general anesthesia and IV sedation, it can often be safely and effectively performed in a wider range of patients. Dr. Kim recommends the surgical approach that best aligns with each patient’s health, safety, and desired outcome.

Awake Plastic Surgery with Dr. Kenneth Kim

Dr. Kim has practiced his Awake Anesthesia technique across a multitude of varied procedures. Below, you will see some highlights from the doctor’s refined repertoire of plastic surgery procedures.

AWAKE BLEPHAROPLASTY

Dr. Kim is renowned around the world for the precision and grace of his Awake Blepharoplasty. Also known as an eyelid lift, Dr. Kim delicately corrects droopy eyelids that can obscure eye contact and obfuscate face-to-face communication. Our eyes say so much about us before we’ve even spoken a word. So, Dr. Kim expertly sculpts redundant skin around the eyes, removing the sagging excesses while lifting and tightening what remains. His approach to Awake Blepharoplasty grants Dr. Kim even greater control over the outcomes because he can instruct the patient to open and close their eyes during the procedure to ensure the best look.^[2]

AWAKE BREAST AUGMENTATION

An Awake Breast Augmentation averts many of the rare, though unfortunate mishaps that may happen after breast surgery. An Awake Breast Augmentation results in less post-operative bleeding than traditional breast augmentation. That’s because bleeding is much harder to see while the patient is still under general anesthesia, making it difficult to predict and harder to control after the anesthesia has worn off. This is not an issue with Awake Anesthesia, which employs a local anesthetic. Dr. Kim and his team can minimize tissue disruption and better control bleeding during and after surgery.^[3] Less bleeding and trauma during surgery leads to the development of less scar tissue. Less scar tissue leads to fewer and more mild instances of capsular contracture. Capsular contracture is an unwanted outcome of breast augmentation when an abundance of scar tissue can build up and contract the breast implants. Fortunately, capsular contracture can be corrected with revision surgery.

AWAKE FACELIFT

An Awake Facelift will rejuvenate your face and revitalize your visage by removing redundant and sagging skin. An Awake Facelift produces less trauma and scarring in the patient. That means the patient can look forward to a shorter, smoother recovery than they otherwise would. And, as everyone knows, fewer scars equals more fabulous results.

AWAKE ABDOMINOPLASTY

An Awake Abdominoplasty appropriately addresses one of the most abundant concerns surrounding tummy tuck surgery—the extended recovery time. An Awake Tummy Tuck can have you back on your feet to enjoy your results in a fraction of the time that it takes to bounce back from traditional abdominoplasty. It’s for this reason that we sometimes refer to this procedure as our Rapid Recovery Tummy Tuck. At Dream Medical Group in sunny Los Angeles, California, it is our priority to help make your recovery as fast as possible so you can dazzle the world with the tight, toned new you!

*Results May Vary