ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION There was a time when a shot of whiskey and a bite on a bullet were the standard for surgical pain control. Fortunately, there has been progress since then, but achieving both safe and effective anesthesia is still a challenge for hair transplantation surgeons. The proper selection and administration of anesthetic agents is one of the most important components of surgery. Patients should be physically and psychologically comfortable during the procedure-not only does this improve the experience, but it also facilitates surgery by blunting the cardiovascular effects of pain and anxiety. Toward that end, physicians must be aware of the action, duration, dosage, and potential toxicity of anesthetic medications. This chapter will provide an overview of local and systemic anesthesia in hair transplantation and outline the impact of epinephrine on anesthetic considerations.
