Local anesthesia is commonly used no matter what method is applied in hair replacement surgeries. Sedation and anesthesia generally makes the patient feel comfortable and more relaxed. Although a person’s scalp does not feel any pain, the patient will still be aware of pressure and tagging during surgery.
There are other types of anesthesia available during hair replacement surgeries. General anesthesia is normally used in more complex cases that involve expansion of tissues or flaps. This type of anesthesia makes a patient sleep throughout the procedure. This is given through an IV by sticking a needle into a vein or by inhaling gases into a tube or mask. This kind of anesthesia does the following to the patient: keep them asleep; relax the muscles; relieve anxiety; block out memory of surgery; and stops pain during surgery and relieve pain afterward. The presence of an anesthesiologist before, during and after the operation is important to monitor and ensure that correct doses of anesthetics are administered.
How a patient feels after surgery is usually dependent not only on the procedure performed, its complexity and extent, but also on the anesthesia. After the effect of the anesthesia subsides, aching and excessive tightness will then be controlled by prescribed medications. Bandages will also be removed the following day while stitches are usually removed in a week to 10 days. The patient must discuss the possibility of bruising, swelling or drainage with his surgeon. These will be due to the surgery and not because of the kind of anesthesia used.
