Nitrous Oxide Increases Patient Comfort For In-Office Procedures & Surgery

Anxiety, including needle phobia, is a reality and even a precluding factor for many patients who undergo surgical or even nonsurgical cosmetic procedures. To address patient discomfort,  plastic surgeon Chris Nichols MD., says he uses nitrous oxide (laughing gas) as a supplement to local anesthesia and oral sedation. 

Mixed with oxygen, nitrous oxide is a safe and effective sedative that, when breathed in, helps people relax, according to the American Dental Association. Researchers Reported on the use of nitrous oxide in 24 cosmetic dermatology patients in 2013. They found lower subjective pain intensity among those treated with nitrous oxide and all but one of the people studied chose nitrous oxide for their next treatment.

Dr. Nichols, who has a surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic practice in the Olympia, WA, says nitrous oxide has been accepted with high patient satisfaction during injections, resurfacing, and even for his office-based surgeries. He uses nitrous oxide, with or without topical anesthetic and local injection anesthesia, for patients who are particularly anxious.

Some patients either have a very low pain threshold or have anxiety and they find the laughing gas to greatly improve their experience. Dentists use nitrous oxide delivery systems with nasal prongs or a mask in a continuous flow manner, but cosmetic surgeons often work in this area and the prongs can get in the way and continuous nitrous oxide can require more intense patient monitoring. Nitro-Nox devised a device that makes it possible for plastic surgeons to use laughing gas in their offices unhindered and it is completely patient administered.

 Patients put a plastic mouthpiece in and breathe the gas in through their mouths a few times and breathe it out through their mouths. II can then perform local anesthetic nerve or field blocks or aesthetic injections and pause and have the patient breathe again a few times and keep doing the treatment. 

Patient recovery is fast.

Laughing gas’s effects only last a few minutes, according to Dr. Nichols. If a patient has only had the laughing gas and no other IV or oral sedation then they can drive on their own after just 10-15 minutes. Pulmonary disease patients are among those who aren’t candidates, and if oral/IV sedation has been given or if the vision has been temporarily impacted by the treatment or surgery we always require a driver for patient safety.

Needle phobia is not necessarily connected to pain; it’s often mostly connected to anxiety. Nitrous Oxide, which is safe and easy to use, really tackles anxiety,” but we have found for lengthy or more painful procedures that it best to still give an amnestic oral sedative agent in addition to maximize the patient experience. Many patients don’t want an IV or general anesthesia and we now have another tool to make patient anxiety and comfort even better. As far, as we know we are the only surgical and med-spa practice in Olympia offering this device.  It was a no-brainer purchase decision, and we are proud to offer this to our Pearl Plastic Surgery patients.