Anesthesia is a safe and predictable aspect of the surgery process. We offer in office IV sedation and general anesthesia. There are some general prerequisites and instructions that patients must follow prior to anesthesia to ensure the safety of the procedure. It is important that all patients undergoing anesthesia thoroughly read and understand the directions we provide prior to the procedure and contact our office with any questions or concerns.
Intravenous anesthesia sedation is a very safe and effective means of preventing pain and reducing patient anxiety. We use this during more minor surgical procedures such as hardware removal, TMJ arthrocentesis, dental implant placement, or tooth extraction. Most frequently, this is administered by Dr. Bobek during the procedure. This has a relatively quick recovery and a lower cost. Think wisdom teeth removal or colonoscopy and it is this kind of anesthesia.
General anesthesia requires respiratory support. This is the level of anesthesia offered by Anesthesiologists at our Office Based Surgery Center or at the Hospital. This level of anesthesia causes a bit of a sore throat and typically takes longer to recover from. This allows us to perform complex jaw reconstructions and is absolutely necessary for orthognathic or TMJ surgery.
In most cases, patients will not be allowed to eat or drink anything after midnight the night before the surgery. This is to be sure the stomach is empty. A rare complication with anesthesia is that you may accidentally breathe in your stomach contents (aspiration.) Surgery will be rescheduled if you have breakfast. The good news is that clear liquids such as water, clear juice, or black coffee are fine up to 2 hours prior to surgery. If you have a later surgery, you can wake up early to have a light breakfast of toast or cereal 6 hours prior to surgery.
No. We require that all patients undergoing anesthesia at our office arrive for their procedures with a responsible adult driver. It is not possible for you to safely drive after your procedure, nor should you drive a vehicle or operate heavy machinery for at least 24 hours after your procedure. It is normal to remain drowsy during this time as your body gradually eliminates the sedative agents used during the procedure. If you do not have a car then we still need you to bring a responsible adult to help get you home on a ride share or public transit.
We recommend wearing loose, comfortable clothing when you arrive at our office. Contacts, dentures, and detachable bridgework must be removed prior to surgery. Please also avoid wearing makeup, fingernail polish and jewelry the day of the procedure.
Ask our team about our anesthesia options and costs.
