Many people desire plastic surgery but feel apprehensive about what their recovery might be like. Commonly, patients will fear discomfort in the areas of the body that will be treated; however, it is much more likely that general anesthesia will negatively affect how you feel after surgery: general anesthesia leaves patients feeling groggy and constipated, and increases recovery time.
To help patients avoid general anesthesia and get back to normal quicker, I am happy to offer a number of popular cosmetic procedures that incorporate local anesthesia and ProNox® patient-controlled sedation—performed here in our Lone Tree office. Continue reading to learn about the benefits of this simpler technique, as well as which procedures can be performed with ProNox.
1. Laughing gas has a long track record of safe use
ProNox involves simply holding a mask to your face to deliver a blend of nitrous oxide and oxygen. You may have used nitrous oxide, also called “laughing gas,” to help with your comfort level during dental procedures or while in labor. It does not put you to sleep, but rather helps you to feel relaxed and comfortable. Used in a clinical setting, in controlled doses, nitrous oxide is a very safe sedative without dangerous side effects.
2. ProNox puts you in control of your own comfort
You control the amount of ProNox in your system during your procedure by breathing through the mouthpiece whenever you feel that you need it. The pain-reducing effects are immediate, and, after the procedure is complete, the gas will be completely out of your system within a few minutes, allowing you to return to your normal activities without lingering side effects.
Unlike other forms of anesthesia, with ProNox, you control your own comfort by breathing through the mouthpiece whenever you feel that you need it.
3. Your recovery is easily manageable after a procedure with self-administered anesthesia
General anesthesia continues to affect your system for a handful of days, and patients often find that this extends their recovery time. ProNox, by contrast, leaves your system nearly instantly. Depending on the details of your procedure, this can mean that your plastic surgery recovery may be managed in the course of a few days, without dramatically inferring with your schedule or lifestyle.
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4. Some of the most popular procedures can be performed in our office with ProNox
211,067 patients underwent liposuction in 2020, and a whopping 325,112 underwent blepharoplasty, or an eyelid lift. Both of these procedures, along with other very popular procedures, can safely and effectively be performed with the help of ProNox. Here is a full list of the procedures we offer under ProNox anesthetic at my plastic surgery office in Lone Tree:
- VASER liposuction
- Renuvion skin-tightening
- Flankplasty (love handles)
- Mommy mini-tucks
- Upper lid blepharoplasty
- Fat grafting (breast)
- Scar revision
- Earlobe repair
- Mole removal
ProNox can be used alone or paired with topical anesthetic for non-invasive procedures, like Renuvion skin tightening or injectables; it can also be combined with local anesthetic injections for minimally-invasive or surgical procedures.
5. You won’t pay the fees associated with general anesthesia
A large chunk of the cost of surgery can be attributed to the cost of having that procedure in an operating room. Because ProNox allows me to perform certain procedures here in our plastic surgery office, this dramatically reduces the cost passed on to you as our patient. It also means that you can have your procedure in a comfortable and friendly space, at the same convenient location where we administer non-surgical procedures.
Contact Dr. Buford in Lone Tree, CO to schedule your consultation
Board certified plastic surgeon Gregory A. Buford, MD, FACS, PCEO is a nationally-recognized expert in a number of surgical and minimally-invasive procedures. He is passionate about providing Denver-area plastic surgery patients a full range of cosmetic options, and finding the solution that works with your unique lifestyle. To schedule your plastic surgery consultation, contact our practice online or call us at 303-951-5829.