A new trend developing among cosmetic surgery lovers leaves patients fully awake during their procedures.
Whether you have having liposuction done, breast augmentation or any other form of plastic surgery, research shows that more and more patients are opting to remain fully conscious during their treatments due to cheaper prices and misleading promises.
However, experts are worrying that patients are beginning to sacrifice quality in order to save a buck.
"You wouldn't go bargain shop for knee surgery," said Lisa Benton, who had a breast augmentation two years ago. "Why would you go bargain shop for breast augmentation?"
Benton can’t imagine having been awake during her procedure.
"I mean if something went wrong, you would be terrified to see it in person," she exclaimed.
Unfortunately, many are taking their chances. Remaining awake by using local anesthesia instead of general can save patients up to a thousand dollars, and that’s a risk they are willing to take.
"That's the price," said, Dr. Stephan Finical, a board certified plastic surgeon. "The real cost is what you get for your results."
Dr. Finical says he and his partners at Charlotte Plastic Surgery refuse to do liposuction, breast augmentation and any other cosmetic procedures without general anesthesia. He contends that local anesthesia is more dangerous than patients imagine.
"The amount of local anesthetic that would be required to keep you comfortable to do some of these larger surgeries would be in itself more dangerous than being asleep under an anesthetic," asserted Finical.
Finical also said that patients opt to remain awake because they believe they can give their input during the surgeries, which Finical says is impossible because "you'll be in no facility to judge your own result.”
Finical is a firm believer that patients have to be fully informed of the risks of both types of anesthesia, along with the risks of liposuction and other cosmetic treatments.
"What are you gonna do," he asked. "Are you gonna stop and you have one implant in and one implant not in. Then what are you gonna do if you don't have privileges--who's gonna finish the surgery for you?"
Finical warns potential plastic surgery patients that they should always do sufficient research, ensure that their doctor is board certified and that he or she has hospital privileges. While things can always go wrong, he asserts that at least the patient will have full understanding of the possibilities and have a plan of action in place.
