Sedational anaesthesia for laser skin therapy.

Sedational anaesthesia has a long history of use where a short-term, deep sedation is necessary. The technique involves the use of a potent analgesic in combination with a powerful sedative. The result is an alteration in the perception of pain, which reduces movement of the patient during laser rejuvenation. Sedational anaesthesia has several advantages over the use of general anaesthetics and side-effects are rare. This paper gives an overview of the practicalities of this technique in laser therapy.