Anesthesia Can Help You Feel Calm, Relaxed and Comfortable During Your Oral Surgery Treatment

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At Loudoun Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, our team is pleased to provide oral and maxillofacial surgery for our patients in Loudoun County and its surrounding regions at our offices in Ashburn and Leesburg, Virginia.  Our scope of surgical services is quite broad, most of which can be performed in our office clinics.  To make our patients as comfortable as possible, we are able to provide several anesthetic options, including IV sedation and general anesthesia.

When it comes to general anesthesia and IV sedation, our surgeons have the both the training and experience you are looking for when undergoing your treatment.  Their training is extensive in both hospital- based operating room settings and outpatient clinical settings, and they have performed thousands of anesthetics over their careers.

Which type of Anesthesia is right for you?

Local Anesthetics

Depending on your treatment, there are various levels of anesthesia that may be used to keep you comfortable. A local anesthetic “numbs” the area being treated. You might notice a feeling of pressure but without pain.  To help you feel calm and relaxed during the treatment, Nitrous oxide, or “laughing gas,” may be used which is breathed through a small nasal mask during the procedure.

IV Sedation & General Anesthesia

Some patients prefer being sedated completely so that they do not have to be aware of their surroundings during the surgery. This may be accomplished using IV sedation or general anesthesia. Our surgeons administer medications to help you fall totally asleep (general anesthesia) or to make you semi-conscious (sedation). You will be unaware or have a depressed level of awareness during the surgery, and will likely remember little to nothing of the surgery.

Note: If you are undergoing more complex or lengthy surgery, our surgeon may have a board-certified anesthesiologist visit our office to provide the anesthesia.

Initial Consultation

Our surgeon will, take your medical history, discuss your procedure, and assess how anxious you are feeling about the upcoming procedure to recommend the anesthesia that will best suit your needs – IV sedation, general anesthesia or local anesthesia. Most patients are pleased to avoid a hospital setting for their procedure, and instead, come into our office ambulatory setting (surgical suite) as it is less stressful and more comfortable.

Preparing for Your Surgery

You need to abstain from eating and drinking for eight hours before your scheduled surgery (you are allowed to take normal medications with a sip of water, only). We recommend wearing clothing that doesn’t restrict you so we can use various monitoring equipment with ease.  It should be loose and comfortable, with short sleeves. Since the medications that are used for your anesthetic will be in your bloodstream for up to 24 hours post-surgery, you will need to bring someone with you to drive you home and help you at home post-surgery.

Surgical Treatment

During your treatment, your vital signs will be carefully monitored, with the help of an EKG (electrocardiogram), a blood pressure cuff, a pulse oximeter to measure the oxygen levels in your blood, and a capnograph to measure your exhaled carbon dioxide levels). Then, medication will be given through your IV to help you relax or sleep. Once your surgery is complete, you will recover in the surgical suite or in a separate recovery area. When you are awake, our recovery room assistant will go over all of your post-operative instructions with you and the person you brought in to drive you home and be with you during the initial recovery time. Your doctor will be pleased to answer any questions you may have.

Please note: After receiving general anesthesia or sedation, you are not allowed to operate machinery or any vehicle for at least 24 hours.

Training

At Loudoun Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, every one of our doctors continually keeps up with certification in advanced cardiac life support and every one of our people on staff is CPR-certified.  Our surgical assistants are all certified through the Dental Anesthesia Assistant National Certification Examination program.   We make sure to follow mandated state medical and dental regulatory board protocols and guidelines, so our Ashburn and Leesburg offices are routinely inspected. In addition, our team routinely conducts emergency drills so you can be assured that we are prepared to handle any issues that could crop up.

No matter what type of oral surgical procedure you might need, you will be in excellent hands with our entire team. Please call our Ashburn office at (703) 729-8700 or our Leesburg office at (703) 771-1771 to learn more or to schedule a consultation.