Lorazepam (Ativan) and fentanyl (Sublimaze) for outpatient office plastic surgical anesthesia

Lorazepam (Ativan) and Fentanyl (Sublimaze) given in small doses during surgery not only achieve excellent intraoperative sedation and patient cooperation, but also significantly reduce recall and recognition of events during the surgery for as long as 3 hours after the surgery. Included is a series of 814 patients in whom this protocol was used between 1981 and 1984 with a 94 percent patient postoperative follow-up. With this protocol there have been no known complications, and patient reactions have been unanimously favorable.