There are several kinds of Sedations.

Mild: Nitrous Oxide Sedation - this jsut relaxes you but you're conscious
Mild to Moderate: Oral Sedation - this involves taking pills to sedate you prior to the procedure.

Moderate: IV Sedation - this is an IV in your arm and you could be conscious, unconscious, or somewhere in between!

Strong: General Anesthesia - this is where they have to make sure you have an airway and you are all the way out.

Now, with the IV and General, the same drugs that "knock you out" can depress your central nervous system, Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, etc etc. Obviously, if these systems are depressed too far, the patient will die. Fortunately for you, your oral surgeon has at least four years of training beyond MY four years of dental school that teaches him all the tricks of advanced life support. So don't worry!
However, MY biggest concern is this: You're going in TOMORROW and you have no idea what the risks are or if your'e even going to GET Sedation??? This is inconceivable to me! Before they schedule the extraction appointment, they probably did a consult. The surgeon looks at your xray and decides the degree of difficulty involved and (should) explain the risks of the procedures as well as your options in terms of anesthetic and Sedation, including all risks of these procedures. I've NEVER heard of anyone saying, "Oh, just decide the day of and we'll explain the risks then."

The fact that you're even asking the question has me a little concerned, unless they already went over all that and maybe you just weren't paying attention or you didn't read the consent form they should provide OR maybe just lost the paper...??

Anyway, good luck.

Sedation is better and easier than not, esp if your'e well insured!

For Oral Surgery you are generally put under general Anesthesia - this means that you will be "Asleep during the procedure" You will be given an IV, probably in the arm, with Versed or another Sedative Drug. After you are "Asleep" you will then be given local injections (shots) to numb your teeth. You will not feel these injections. When the procedure is complete, the oral surgeon will stop your IV and you will wake up. You won't remember anything about the procedure and will probably feel pretty Groggy. As a side note, "Laughing Gas" doesn't put you to sleep, it just relaxes the person receiving - you are still awake, completely concious and can feel pain, etc. This is why general Anesthesia is used, and not gas, during Oral Surgery Procedures.

Don't worry - general Anesthesia is the way to go - pain free! Your oral surgeon will give you plenty of instructions/information so you will be well informed.

You should first understand that I am not a surgeon, so this is from the perspective of someone who has seen the Surgery, and had the Surgery done, but who doesn't do the Surgery himself.

The Surgery, called functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS), may be done either under local Anesthesia or general Anesthesia. Many very experienced Sinus surgeons prefer to use local Anesthesia. The operation generally takes approximately 2-3 hours. During that period of time, the Ear, Nose and throat doctor will do any one of a number of things including: straightening the Septum (the Bone and cartilage separating the two sides of your Nose), making an opening into the Sinus(es) on either side of the Nose so that Drainage can occur more effectively, and possibly remove some of the inflamed lining of the Sinuses. The number of Sinuses which need to be opened up depends on the nature of your problem. (For a better understanding, look at the CT scan section after you finish the FAQ page)

The surgeon uses a rigid tube (endoscope) which is inserted into the Nose. The entire operation is done through the Nose. Previously, the Surgery was done using an incision underneath the lip called a Caldwell-Luc procedure. This caused an extended post-operative healing time as well as occasional loss of sensation in the face and was not nEarly as effective as the current Surgery.

The current Surgery involves opening up the naturally occurring openings (Ostia) from the Sinuses into the Nose. (They are at the top of the Sinuses). The older procedure involved making a Drainage hole in the bottom part of the Nose, with an extensive amount of removal of tissue from inside the Nose. It was logical, but unfortunately it didn't work as well because mucus flows upwards toward the top of the Sinus aided by tiny hairs called cilia. In addition, removal of the tissue from inside the Sinuses caused scarring, so that now very little tissue is removed from inside the Sinuses.

Also called Cone Biopsy.

This procedure requires either local or general Anesthesia and may be done in the doctor's office or in the hospital.

This procedure allows for evaluation and treatment of Precancerous lesions.

The conization also may provide the Diagnosis of an invasive Cervical Cancer lesion.

Another method used to do a Biopsy.

In this procedure, the doctor uses an electric wire loop to slice off a thin, round piece of tissue.

These types of biopsies may be done in the doctor's office using local Anesthesia.