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Anesthesia Options

Types of Anesthesia

As oral surgeons, Dr. Smith, Dr. Ferguson, and Dr. Chuang have undergone years of training to become experts at performing all types of oral and maxillofacial procedures, including the safe administration of anesthesia. Your treatment plan, including your options for anesthesia, will be discussed in detail before your procedure.

Local Anesthesia

Local anesthesia is administered directly into the site and allows the patient to remain conscious but not feel any pain associated with the procedure. It is often used together with nitrous oxide.

Nitrous Oxide

Commonly known as laughing gas, nitrous oxide is helpful for patients who may experience some anxiety before their procedure. It is mixed with oxygen and inhaled through a mask that is placed over the nose. It is often used in conjunction with local anesthesia.

Intravenous (IV) Sedation

IV sedation is administered into a vein and allows the patient to become very comfortable and enter a sleep-like state. The patient remains semi-conscious throughout the procedure and may or may not remember it.

Hospital or Surgery Center-Based General Anesthesia

If you require a complicated or extensive procedure, such as facial trauma injury or orthognathic surgery, you may undergo general anesthesia in a surgery center or hospital setting. An anesthesiologist will administer the general anesthesia.

Exparel® for Extended Pain-Control After Surgery

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, about 80 percent of people who use the illegal drug heroin first misused opioid-based prescription medications. Dr. Smith, Dr. Ferguson, and Dr. Chuang are proud to offer Exparel in their treatment plans to help fight opioid addiction in our Metairie and Gretna, LA, communities – while also ensuring our patients have a better overall oral surgery experience with less post-operative discomfort. Exparel is a clinically proven medication administered by your oral surgeon directly to your surgical site while you are under anesthesia during your oral surgery. This medication controls discomfort after your surgery and will continue to dramatically decrease your discomfort for up to four days post-surgery!

Exparel is becoming a preferred method of post-operative pain management with oral surgeons and patients alike. If you choose Exparel as part of your surgical treatment plan, your oral surgeon will administer a single dose of this sustained-release medication to your surgical site, where it will already be controlling your post-operative discomfort when your anesthesia wears off. Exparel is so effective that it often eliminates the need for prescription narcotic pain medications during your recovery time.

Exparel allows our patients the following benefits:

  • No risk of opioid dependence and withdrawal — Exparel is not a narcotic medication.
  • Postpone or even eliminate the need to fill prescription narcotic pain medications.
  • No gap in pain control after surgery — one dose of this sustained-release medication applied to your surgical site will already be controlling your post-operative discomfort when your anesthesia wears off.

At Oral Surgery Services, we are dedicated to offering better pain management options for our patients so that we can continue to keep you as healthy and happy as possible — and free of the risks and side-effects of opioid-based, narcotic prescription medications.

When you meet with Dr. Smith, Dr. Ferguson, and Dr. Chuang for your consultation appointment, you will have the opportunity to discuss Exparel in detail and decide if you would like to add this medication to your surgical treatment plan.

By offering a highly effective alternative to narcotic medications, we are providing the highest level of oral surgery care to our patients while reducing the number of narcotics we prescribe — which, in turn, helps keep our local communities safe and healthy. For more information about Exparel and its benefits, or to schedule your consultation, please contact us today.

Schedule Your Consultation Today

We invite you to learn more about our practice and get to know our team and our doctors! At Oral Surgery Services, we are committed to providing quality care. Together with our friendly and highly trained staff, we are determined to exceed your oral health goals by providing personalized care and comprehensive solutions.

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