(714) 834-0101 Appointment

Blog Dr. Michael A. Jazayeri Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

HOW SAFE IS OUTPATIENT COSMETIC/PLASTIC SURGERY UNDER GENERAL ANESTHESIA?

COSMETIC/PLASTIC SURGERY UNDER GENERAL ANESTHESIA

Some of my Orange County plastic surgery patients are worried about general anesthesia.  This is a legitimate concern, but needs to be put in perspective.

A recent review published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, arguably the most recognized journal of plastic surgery in the world, found the risk of death from out patient surgery to be approximately 1 in 50,000 patients.  Assume a plastic surgeon performs 500 cases a year under general anesthesia (this equates to 42 cases per month).  I do not know of any plastic surgeon who operates that much.  It will take this plastic surgeon one hundred years to reach 50,000 patients!  As one can see, the risk of death from general anesthesia is very low.

In comparison, the risk of death while driving is 1 in 5,000.  There fore, a person, on the average, has a ten times risk of dying while driving than from general anesthesia.

To achieve this low risk, however, requires the patient to be healthy or have a medical condition(s) which is well-controlled, the surgery center is accredited and either a board certified anesthesiologist or CRNA is administrating the anesthesia.  Of course, the surgeon must be well-trained and safe as well.

I hope this will put your mind at ease when going under general anesthesia!

Michael A. Jazayeri, M.D. is a board certified plastic surgeon with over 10 years of experience.  His office is located in Orange County, California.  To schedule a complimentary consultation, please call (714) 834-0101.

Schedule your one-on-one plastic surgery consultation in Orange County with Dr. Jaz

Many people may hesitate about making their first phone call to a plastic surgeon’s office. Dr. Jazayeri would like you to know that for most patients, getting a procedure is only one aspect of helping themselves look and feel more like the person they really are. Information is power. Why not call and schedule a consultation with Dr. Jazayeri today? Contact us now by calling the phone number above or visiting our contact page.