What is an Awake Facelift?

Dr. Koch has performed different types of facelifts (including SMAS, Deep Plane, and Mini/Short-Scar) over his 29-year career so knows what works best for his patients.  For the past 17 years, Dr. Koch has preferred an Awake Facelift in the vast majority of patients.

Awake Facelifts (also known as In-Office or Twilight Facelifts) offer several benefits compared to traditional facelifts performed under general anesthesia. Let’s explore these advantages:

1. Enhanced Safety and Comfort:

• Awake facelifts use a combination of local anesthesia (to limit discomfort) and oral sedation (commonly with Valium) to keep patients comfortably drowsy during the procedure.
• Unlike general anesthesia, where intubation (breathing tube) is necessary, awake facelifts are less invasive and reduce the risks associated with anesthesia.
• Patients remain aware of what’s happening but feel very relaxed during the surgery.

2. Quicker, Easier Recovery:

• Overall recovery time after an Awake Facelift is similar to a traditional facelift, but patients wake up sooner as there are fewer side effects from anesthesia.
• Patients can go directly home right after an Awake Facelift.

3. Cost-Effectiveness:

• Awake Facelifts are more cost-effective than traditional facelifts performed under general anesthesia which requires an anesthesiologist.
• They also can be performed in Dr. Koch’s procedure room as opposed to an ambulatory surgery center reducing hospital fees.

4. What Makes an Awake Facelift with Dr. Koch Different from Others:

 Experience: Koch has trained the most physicians in the Awake Facelift in the country, has performed thousands of them himself, and has an impeccable safety record.

• He uses a Tumescent Anesthesia technique which maximizes comfort and minimizes bruising, swelling, and bleeding. No IV is required.
• Patients are fully monitored.

In summary, Awake Facelifts (also known as In-Office or Twilight Facelifts) provide a safer, more comfortable experience, cost savings, and comparable results to traditional facelifts.

Author

R James Koch MD Dr. R. James Koch is a Stanford-trained, double Board-Certified facial plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience. Dr. Koch completed a fellowship in Advanced Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Stanford University, where he subsequently became Director of that same fellowship and also held the positions of Associate Professor, Director of the Division of Facial Plastic Surgery, and Director of the Wound Healing Laboratory. Best known for minimally invasive procedures such as the in-office facelift, eyelift, and laser procedures, he has trained the most physicians in the in-office facelift in the country.