What are expert opinions on having a face lift (neck and face but not eyes or forehead) under local anesthesia with sedation?

No problem in the..: Right patient. In 26 years of practice, about 90% of the facelifts I have performed have been done with this type of anesthesia. Unless there is a medical reason not to do so, the choice of anesthesia (in my practice) is left up to the patient.

There are benefits : To both choices. If you have local, it is still important to be monitored and have your airway managed by an anesthesiologist.

Depends: This depends upon the preferences of the patient and the surgeon and the skill and training of the anesthesiologist . Surgery of this kind is often done with local/sedation. The patient should be comfortable and should understand that he/she may be aware and may hear sounds, but should not feel pain. Post-operative recovery in these cases is often faster than with general anesthesia.

Ok: If you are generally calm you should tolerate a facelift under sedation with local anesthesia. If you are extremely nervous general anesthesia may be a better alternative.

Depends on your MD: If the surgeon has a good record of doing this then i would proceed. The local and IV sedation is usually sufficient for this procedure, which is superficial with minimal bleeding.

See below: I agree with dr. Pollard. It can be done but needs to be discussed with your surgeon.

Minifacelift: It is not unheard of to perform a minifacelift under local anesthesia. The procedure is well tolerated. Your surgeon should review your medical history to determine if this is a safe option for you.

Need to be examined: for valid answer, but rejuvenation of only one part of a body area (the face in your case) may serve to highlight the 'agedness' of the unoperated part creating aesthetic imbalance. Not doing a concomitant brow can create a 'traffic jam' or pleats at the upper zone of the dissection. There are exceptions to every rule, however thus the importance of the exam. Generally,would do lower eyelids