Plastic surgeon-led artistry · Anesthesia-led serenity
Awake by choice.
Comfort by design.
Aesthetic surgery of the face, planned around how you want to feel. A plastic surgeon shapes the result. An anesthesiologist stays with you for every minute of your comfort.
ExploreBoard-certified plastic surgeon
Your operation is planned and performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon.
Board-certified anesthesiologist
A physician anesthesiologist, dedicated to you, from first numbing to discharge.
Accredited surgical centre
Our surgical centre is an accredited facility under the CPSO Out-of-Hospital Premises Inspection Program (OHPIP).
Plastic surgeon-led artistry
Your surgeon designs the result.
Natural, balanced outcomes begin with a careful plan: your anatomy, your goals and the technique that suits them. Every procedure is planned and performed by your plastic surgeon.
Anesthesia-led serenity
Your anesthesiologist designs the experience.
A specialist physician anesthesiologist stays with you, adjusting comfort from local numbing through light sedation to general anesthesia, whichever is right and safe for you.
Explore by area
Where would you like to begin?
Start with a conversation
Not sure where to begin?
Take the Comfort Compass: eight quick questions about how you would like to feel, what worries you and what you expect. You will receive a personal summary to bring to your consultation. It is not medical advice, and nothing is sent unless you choose to share it.
Turn the dial. See what each level of anesthesia is.
Anesthesia is a spectrum, not a switch. Slide through the options to see what each one means, and what you might experience.
Your day, from the front door to the drive home.
Surprises are the enemy of comfort. Follow the day step by step: who is with you, what they are doing, and where you can change your mind.
Walk through your surgery dayConsult and plan
Meet your surgeon, share your health history, tell us how you want to feel, and agree on an anesthesia plan.
Meet your anesthesiologist
You are welcomed, reviewed one more time, and shown the room. Your music is ready.
Comfort, adjusted live
Numbing, monitoring and any sedation are adjusted minute by minute. Tell the team anything you feel.
Recover, then home
Written instructions, an escort home and a follow-up plan, with a number to call.
Your room, your soundtrack
Tell us what you would like to hear.
Music, a podcast, or quiet. Choose the mood now and we will carry it into your welcome form. Research on music and pain is promising but mixed, so we treat it as one part of comfort, not a guarantee.
Two-minute reads. Real evidence.
How to make pain go away, how to avoid anesthesia side effects, and a guided tour of the larynx and the breathing tube.
2 min insight
How to make pain go away
Read insight AnesthesiaAvoiding general anesthesia side effects
Read insight Breathing & airwayThe larynx, vocal cords and the breathing tube
Read insight Safety & monitoringAwake does not mean unmonitored
Read insight Music & comfortMusic is medicine (sort of)
Read insight Voice & recoveryThe voice after the tube
Read insight Myths & evidenceMyth check: brain fog
Read insight Care standardsWhat accredited really means
Read insightLearn at your own pace.
Plain-language articles that cite published research where it matters.
The potential benefits of awake surgery
Open article AnesthesiaLevels of anesthesia explained
Open article Local anestheticHow lidocaine works
Open article Long-acting numbingHow Marcaine works
Open article Breathing & comfortFear of intubation
Open article SafetyClot risk: awake vs general
Open article ProceduresAwake liposuction and J-Plasma
Open article Music & perceptionPain, perception and music
Open article Medication & anesthesiaGLP-1 medications and anesthesia
Open article Your preparationPreparing for awake surgery
Open article Finding your fitAwake or asleep? How to decide
Open articleQuestions, answered honestly.
Will I be fully awake during surgery?
Not necessarily. Depending on your procedure, health and preferences, your plan may involve local anesthesia alone or sedation. Your surgeon and anesthesiologist will plan the approach with you, and your alertness can be adjusted to suit your goals when appropriate.
Is awake surgery safer than general anesthesia?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer. The right approach depends on your procedure, health and individual risks. Awake techniques may avoid some side effects associated with medicines used during general anesthesia, but they are not risk-free. Your team will discuss the benefits and risks and recommend the approach best suited to you.
Will there be an anesthesiologist?
Yes. A board-certified anesthesiologist is present throughout your procedure, even when no anesthetic medication is being given at that moment, so they can monitor you and respond if you need care.
What if awake is not possible for my surgery?
Many aesthetic procedures we offer may be performed with awake techniques in appropriately selected patients. Motivation is helpful, but suitability depends on your procedure, health and comfort. If awake surgery is not appropriate, we will explain why and discuss general anesthesia. Let us talk through your options at a consultation.
Can I listen to my own music?
Yes. Share your favourite music on the welcome form or with the operating-room team on the day of surgery, and we will plan your room around it.
Free
The awake surgery preparation guide.
A practical checklist for the weeks before surgery, your questions for the consultation, and a recovery-at-home list. Free.
Discover your options with awakeMD.
Book a consultation to discuss the procedures and anesthesia choices that may be appropriate for you. Prices start transparently on our pricing and financing page.