Benefits of IV sedation

Intravenous Sedation or IV sedation is often used during oral surgery, plastic surgery, dental surgery as well as orthopedic surgery. The sedative is administered intravenously and makes the patient drowsy. It is an effective alternative to anesthesia during minor but possibly painful surgical procedures like tooth extraction, cyst removal, fracture reduction and the like. Also, for persons suffering from heart disease, diabetes and circulatory disorders, IV sedation is a safer option.

1. Its effects settle in quicker to eliminate anxiety and relax the patient. Unlike sedation administered orally, IV sedation reaches the blood stream much quicker and its effects are more pronounced, in a shorter span of time.
2. IV sedation only eliminates the patient’s sensation of pain and other body processes remain functioning. Unlike under general anesthesia, patients are not completely unconscious and are able to move and breathe by themselves. This is very helpful since movement during discomfort alert the doctor and attendants during the surgery even before the patient becomes aware of any pain. A tremendous advantage of IV sedation over general anesthesia is that doctors are immediately alerted to any abnormalities or patient discomfort during surgical procedures and can react swiftly.
3. IV Sedation has lesser side effects compared to general anesthesia. The dosage can be accurately measured and injected as compared to General anesthesia, when heavy dosages can cause severe side effects and in rare cases shutting down of cognitive functions for an undetermined period of time.
4. Chances of blood clots and nausea are lower with an IV sedative, when compared to other forms of administered anesthesia. Some patients have violent side-effects to anesthesia causing delays in the surgical procedure. This is avoided with IV administration.
5. Recovery from Intravenous sedatives is much quicker than general anesthesia. There is very little grogginess once the effects of the sedative have worn off. When other forms of anesthesia are administered, the patient requires a couple of hours for the grogginess to wear off and reorient themselves.
6. Patients feel less anxious and are more comfortable in spite of being conscious during the procedure. The IV sedative acts quickly and has minimum side-effects if any, and the patient relaxes within a few minutes of intravenous administration.
7. The patient is semi-conscious unlike in general anesthesia where the patient is almost completely unconscious. This makes the sedative safer than General anesthesia, where the patient cannot point out any discomfort until after the procedure. With IV, the patient is semi conscious and can point out important factors that could aid the surgery.
8. Helpful for patients who suffer from gag reflex. Patients who suffer from this condition often have severe side-effects and cannot proceed with the surgery. When an IV sedative is administered, patients do not suffer from gag reflex making it easier to proceed with the surgical procedure.

The adverse effects of the surgical procedure in such patients are reduced since they are more relaxed and are able to respond better. IV sedation is extremely effective during complicated dental procedures like implant surgery, wisdom tooth extraction, root canal, gum surgery and so on.

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