What are the anaesthetic options for a Tummy Tuck procedure?

Question:

Dear Aurora Clinics, I am very interested in having a Tummy Tuck. Could you tell me if this procedure can be carried out without full sedation as I would like to be awake during the procedure?

Answer:

Thank you very much for your enquiry. Unfortunately, we do like people to be asleep for their tummy tuck surgery as it is a two-hour procedure. Therefore, most of our patients prefer to have a light general anaesthetic.

The important thing to remember is that anaesthetics have come a long way from the old days in which heavy anaesthetics were used.

Nowadays, gentler breathing tubes are inserted inside the mouth and not through the vocal chords. This makes the operation much safer and reduces the likelihood of sore throats following surgery.

Medication used to keep patients under sedation is also milder, these days. This helps to prevent post-operative sickness or feelings of nausea.

We have worked with the same anaesthetist (Dr Pura Ribes) for over ten years and have performed many thousands of operations. We can confirm that we have never had a serious medical problem following the use of an anaesthetic.

In fact, we tell many of our patients that the drive home after their consultation is statistically more dangerous than having an operation with our very experienced anaesthetist!

Best Wishes,

The Aurora Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery Team