Anaesthetic Options for Oral & Facial Surgery

Ensuring Your Comfort Throughout Treatment

Your comfort and safety are paramount during any surgical procedure. A/Prof Christian Freudlsperger offers a range of anaesthetic options tailored to the complexity of your surgery and your personal preferences, ensuring you remain comfortable throughout your treatment.

Local Anaesthesia

For many oral surgery procedures, local anaesthesia is highly effective and allows you to remain fully conscious while the surgical area is completely numbed. This is commonly used for procedures such as wisdom teeth removal, dental implant placement, simple extractions, and minor soft tissue procedures. You'll experience no pain during the procedure, and the effects typically wear off within a few hours. Local anaesthesia is safe, efficient, and allows for immediate recovery with no lingering drowsiness.

Sedation Options

For patients who experience anxiety about dental or surgical procedures, or for more extensive treatments, sedation can be provided in addition to local anaesthesia:

Oral Sedation: A medication taken before your appointment helps you feel relaxed and calm while remaining conscious. You'll need someone to drive you home afterward.

Intravenous (IV) Sedation: Administered through a small needle in your arm, IV sedation provides deeper relaxation and often creates a sense that the procedure passed very quickly. You'll remain responsive but deeply relaxed and will have little to no memory of the procedure. This "twilight sleep" is ideal for longer procedures or anxious patients. You must arrange for someone to accompany you and drive you home, and you should not drive or make important decisions for 24 hours following sedation.

General Anaesthesia

Complex procedures such as orthognathic surgery, extensive facial reconstruction, multiple dental implants, treatment of facial trauma, or combined procedures are typically performed under general anaesthesia in a hospital setting. You'll be completely asleep throughout the surgery, with no awareness or memory of the procedure. An anaesthetist monitors you continuously throughout, ensuring your safety and comfort. General anaesthesia is performed at Auckland City Hospital or Middlemore Hospital, where A/Prof Freudlsperger holds consultant positions, providing access to full hospital facilities and support.