Tattoo Procedures for Health Care Professionals

To prioritize patient safety, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) strongly maintains that tattooing should be approached as any other elective cosmetic procedure when anesthesia is used. As such, anesthesia health care professionals should adhere to the principles of safe anesthetic care in all settings, as documented in ASA’s:

Basic Standards for Preanesthesia Care

Standards for Basic Anesthetic Monitoring

Standards for Postanesthesia Care

Additionally, anesthesia health care professionals should adhere to the same criteria for safe patient care based on the location where the tattooing may occur. If in an office-based setting, the following standards of care should be required: 

Statement on Qualifications of Anesthesia Providers in the Office-Based Setting

Statement on Office-Based Anesthesia

Statement on Safe Use of Propofol (if propofol sedation is used)

Patients interested in pursuing tattoo procedures under anesthesia, should refer to the new webpage and infographic on ASA’s Made for This Moment companion site.