Local Anesthesia For Patients in Orange, CT

What is Local Anesthesia?

Local Anesthesia is a safer alternative to General Anesthesia which numbs a specific part of the body to prevent the feeling of a surgical procedure. By using Local Anesthesia, Dr. Mao can ensure that the patient does not feel any pain during treatment while causing minimal stress on the body.

Local Anesthesia only lasts for 4-5 hours (multiple injections) making this a great option for outpatient procedures. Dr. Mao offers Local Anesthesia for almost all treatments available at our office.

Are you awake during Local Anesthesia?

Depending on the treatment, patients are often awake during treatment or sedated. Patients are encouraged to take anti-anxiety and narcotic pain meds in conjunction to help them achieve a state of calmness where awareness of time is not a factor. If a surgery will last more than 4-5 hours, Dr. Mao will likely opt to put the patient under General Anesthesia.

How does Local Anesthesia compare to General Anesthesia?

General Anesthesia is used to put a patient to sleep during the treatment and affects the whole body, whereas Local Anesthesia is applied to the specific area of the body being treated.

Are there any side effects to Local Anesthesia?

Patients may experience some minor side effects as the anesthesia wears off such as dizziness, headaches. It is also possible that patients experience some numbness in the area or twitching of the muscles. Great majority of the time patients tolerate extremely well.

How long does Local Anesthesia last?

Typically, Local Anesthesia will be used for shorter treatments and lasts approximately 1-2 hours. The injections can be repeated so it can last 4-5 hours. This can vary based on the specific anesthetic used.

What are the benefits of Local Anesthesia?

Local Anesthesia is considered a safer alternative to General Anesthesia as it does not put a lot of stress on the entire body. Local Anesthesia is also used for shorter periods of time, which means the body is not under the anesthetic effects for long.

Am I a candidate for Local Anesthesia?

Based on Dr Mao’s experience, there are 4 groups of people who aren’t the best candidates:

1. You do not want to be aware of the minor sensations during the procedure (sounds, smell…etc)
2. You cannot lay flat for extended periods of time due to neck or back problems.
3. You cannot tolerate the anti-anxiety pill or the narcotic pain meds which can cause nausea, or, have undesired side effects towards the local anesthetic which contains epinephrine.
4. You have undiagnosed panic attacks or severe anxiety.

Most people are candidates for local anesthesia and some have said it’s better than dental procedures.