Meeting with an anaesthetist prior to surgery is essential (except in the case of a local anaesthetic). This meeting helps to determine the best anaesthetic solution (light, locoregional or general), to check your health and get advice on how to recover quickly.
Don’t forget to make an appointment at the clinic, with the anaesthetist recommended to you by Dr Petit’s administration office, at least 48 hours before your surgical procedure.
Anaesthetic techniques have been refined in recent years and are now much safer. Statistically, a general anaesthetic is actually less risky than taking a train.
There is therefore no reason to be afraid. Nevertheless, it you prefer a lighter, local or regional anaesthetic, this can often be done. Please inform Dr Petit - your preference will be respected whenever possible.
Like at the dentist’s, a local anaesthetic is an excellent solution for smaller medical or surgical treatments. It is performed by the surgeon himself, using a small needle and an anaesthetic product (lidocaine). In practice, you will only feel a slight initial pricking sensation (just like an ordinary injection), and the treated area becomes desensitized.
A well-executed local anaesthetic is less painful than other techniques. It is recommended for relatively relaxed people, who want to recover quickly.
Locoregional anaesthesia (e.g. epidural) consists in “putting to sleep” a single part of the body. There is no loss of consciousness.
Regularly used for childbirth, it is also recommended for certain plastic surgeries, when the areas being operated on are located on the lower part of the body (under the breasts). It allows for a faster convalescence and prevents the feeling of “jet lag” after a general anaesthetic. If this solution appeals to you, don’t hesitate to request it.
Some advice for a rapid recovery - come to the clinic fit and in good health, don’t smoke, drink or eat on the morning of surgery (except in the case of a local anaesthetic). Keep calm and relaxed before and after surgery and follow all recommendations and instructions given by the doctors. Take one or two days off to rest after heading back home.
Just by following this simple advice, you’ll be back to normal much sooner than you thought!