General anesthesia is regarded to be medically safe. Even patients who suffer from significant health complications can tolerate it without considerable problems.
As safe as doctors recognize general anesthesia to be, various side effects do exist that patients contemplating cosmetic surgery should consider. Since most traditional fat-removal procedures require its administration, you should be aware of the risks and complications associated with both anesthesia and the surgical procedure itself.
Short-Term Side Effects of General Anesthesia
These side effects usually occur immediately after surgery using anesthesia and do not remain for long:
- Nausea/Vomiting
- Dry Mouth
- Sore Throat
- Fever
- Confusion
- General Pain
- Itchiness
Long-Term Side Effects of General Anesthesia
Most patients will not experience any of these long-term side effects from general anesthesia. In rare cases, however, you may experience:
- Postoperative delirium: Some patients can have trouble remembering things post-surgery, but this only lasts for about a week.
- Postoperative cognitive dysfunction: This is also known as cognitive impairment post-surgery and is a more severe manner that can hone grave consequences.
Fat Removal Without General Anesthesia
Technological advancements have made it possible for doctors to perform fat removal procedures without the need for general anesthesia.
The AirSculpt procedure is one of these. Founded by Dr. Aaron Rollins, the owner of Elite Body Sculpture, this procedure removes fat with minimal pain and discomfort, using local anesthesia in lieu of general. Avoiding general anesthesia significantly reduces the risks and complication possibilities throughout the process.
How Does AirSculpt Work?
AirSculpt is a minimally invasive fat removal procedure. Comparable to internal laser liposuction techniques, AirSculpt uses a high-frequency laser inserted through a small incision to melt fat before its extraction. Fat is removed cell by cell through an opening that is as small as the size of a pencil eraser. This method is innovative because it does not require the use of a scalpel, needle, or even stitches.
No stitches are needed because the procedure only leaves a mark the size of a freckle that is naturally left to heal with dissolvable sutures. AirSculpt is so minimally invasive that it doesn’t use general anesthesia, so you’re able to be treated while remaining wide awake with minimal pain and discomfort!
The fact that no anesthesia is used implies that you can have a much faster recovery time than with traditional methods of fat removal. With AirSculpt, you can get back to your daily routine in around two days. You will need to wear compression garments for some time afterward, though.