- Anesthesia -

Dr. Filiberto does not believe patients should ever subject themselves to general anesthesia for elective procedures. The risks are simply too great. In fact, last year alone, 25 patients died from general anesthesia while undergoing facelifts in the state of Florida.

Dr. Filiberto’s method combines the best practices of anesthesiologists with his years of experience using local anesthesia (a technique for decreasing pain in a specific area of the body) to create Comfort Anesthesia.

Comfort Anesthesia blends tumescent anesthesia (a mixture that includes an anesthetic, sodium bicarbonate, adrenalin and Xylocaine) with medications that leave patients feeling very relaxed with no sense of pain. This method also eliminates burning and irritation at the injection site.

Comfort Anesthesia is completely safe 100 percent of the time because it uses no medications that alter the body’s major functions such as heart rate and blood pressure. It also leaves the system immediately, unlike general anesthesia, which can remain in the body and produce side effects for days afterward.

After the Comfort Anesthesia is administered, patients report feeling completely relaxed with a “twilight” sensation. Although patients are able to communicate with Dr. Filiberto throughout the procedure, the medications completely eliminate any feelings of pain and anxiety.

Afterward, patients are able to get up off of the operating table and leave the office without assistance or memory of the surgical procedure. In fact, most people feel so well the first day that they must be reminded to take their pain medications to avoid discomfort as the Comfort Anesthesia wears off. It is important to note that patients should arrange to have someone drive them home following surgery.

Medicine is part science and part art, and very few surgeons are adept at using tumescent anesthesia in combination with other medications. After years of experience, Dr. Filiberto has perfected his method of delivery.

Surgical suites at Artful Awakenings are only available for cosmetic procedures, in contrast to hospitals, where the same space may be used for patients with life-threatening infections. Dr. Filiberto also is certified in advanced cardiac life support, should patients experience difficulties not associated with the procedure.

The decision to undergo an elective surgical procedure is one that should be made with great care and diligent research. Dr. Filiberto believes that patients should be educated consumers, and he always encourages them to seek a second opinion.