What is Twilight Sedation?
Yes twilight sedation is popular; however, patients can have a tendency to move and talk during the operation. Patients can remember sounds and occassionally pain associated with a surgical procedure such as Breast Implants surgery. Other more serious considerations are the protection of the patients airway, twilight sedation procedures take longer to perform therefore the patient is on the operating table alot longer. Most Light general anaesthetics in comparison are just as efficacious and patient recovery is similar in comparison. More importantly it is safer and the anaesthetist has more control of the patients airway and therefore safety with a light general anaesthetic.
Unfortunately there are many practitioners/surgeons offering twilight sedation with no anaesthetist being present.
Dr Tan prefers a method called Twilight Sedation, with a Consultant Anaesthetist who specialises in Twilight Sedation. With this type of sedation, patients require less time to recover from surgery and experience fewer side effects such as swelling and bruising. Twilight Sedation is best described as being in a very deep sleep but still in control of your reflexes. This means that you are breathing on your own throughout the procedure.
