Office-based anesthesia (IV sedation) is different from hospital-based anesthesia. During hospital-based anesthesia, doctors will give medications in the IV line so that patients will lose consciousness, then paralyzing medications will be given so that patients will not move during the surgery, a breathing tube (endotracheal tube) is placed down in the throat, and a ventilating machine will breathe and deliver oxygen and anesthetic gas.

During office-based anesthesia, we start an IV line and give medications to achieve unconsciousness, but we do not paralyze the patients so that patients can breathe on their own. Doctors will give local anesthetic injections in their mouth after patients fall asleep so that patients are comfortable during and after surgery. As time passes, patients may gradually wake up during the surgery, but they will not feel pain. If you would like to return to sleep, please signal by raising your left hand, and additional anesthetic agents will be administered.

A small percentage of patients may experience hallucinations or become “excited” when certain medications are administered, leading to increased movement and a lack of cooperation during surgery. In that case we may have to stop surgery and wait for patients to wake up and become more cooperative.

Upon recovering from anesthesia, individuals may exhibit varied emotional responses, including laughter or crying. As anesthesia wears off, people return to the usual state.

For people who are concerned with deep sedation or have significant medical history, we offer “light” or “mild” sedation in which patients do not lose consciousness, are aware of surgery events, but not bothered by this experience. Some people say it felt like being drunk after a few shots of whiskey.

Dr. Lee has administered IV sedation for over thirty years, including his own children, relatives, and the children of many referring doctors.