MIAMI \u2014 A full body tattoo would typically take multiple sessions, but a Miami company is putting clients under anesthesia and getting it done in a day.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re actually the only ones in Florida, and as far as we know, we\u2019re also the only ones in the whole country,\u201d Michael Zuratti, CEO of Sedation Ink, said. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s a new medical twist on the industry that dates back over 5,000 years.<\/p>\n
\u201c(I) think it was a very cool idea, a very cool idea \u2026 as we know in Miami, we\u2019re very big on plastic surgery,\u201d Dr. Bryan Merkel, an anesthesiologist for Sedation Ink, said. <\/p>\n
Since February 2024, the specialized Miami-based tattoo studio has been offering up large-scale tattooing while clients are under general anesthesia.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019re at the forefront of (a) shift in the industry,\u201d Zuratti said. \u201cSo, you know, we do believe that eventually this will be more prevalent nationwide. Having said that, we are at the forefront and we\u2019re excited to kind of set a good example in terms of, you know, making sure that the safety is of utmost importance.\u201d <\/p>\n
Zuratti exclusively gave Local 10 News a look at the process from the beginning, starting with the final consultation for their latest client \u2013 a business owner from Boston who asked that we blur his face and only use his initials, E.C.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoing this cover-up, it would take a long time,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
The 37-year-old opted for the fast track, covering up tattoos he got inked when he was 15 years old.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou change as you grow and then you start realizing that some tattoos, like, hey, they don\u2019t fit you anymore,\u201d E.C. said. <\/p>\n
E.C. says the company\u2019s online marketing piqued his interest, including Sedation\u2019s tag line, \u201csay goodbye to the pain.\u201d<\/p>\n
The procedure helps to expedite tattooing sessions for clients. Traditionally, large-scale tattoos can take upward of two years to complete with multiple hours of long sessions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re able to do large-scale projects in five, six hours,\u201d Zuratti said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re seeing it in like LA and New York and Miami, and the typical places that you would expect to sort of find cutting edge ideas and thoughts on medicine and aesthetics and things like that,\u201d Dr. Cameron Howard, chief of anesthesiology at Memorial Hospital West, said. \u201cWe have to take it seriously and we can\u2019t be frivolous with it. So that being said, for patients receiving anesthesia for a tattoo, they should have all of the same precautions and the same emergency capabilities available to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Back in 2025, the American Society of Anesthesiologists released a statement regarding anesthesia for tattoos, stating that going under for a tattoo can be dangerous, but \u201cis no different from receiving it for an elective procedure.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a very serious undertaking, right? And it shouldn\u2019t be treated like a spa day,\u201d Howard said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an elective procedure, right? So the patient is unconscious and, you know, with a breathing tube so, it\u2019s a medical procedure first,\u201d Zuratti said. <\/p>\n
What separates Sedation Ink from others is how the company is registered as both a tattoo shop and medical center, Zuratti said. <\/p>\n
\u201cPitching this to the Florida Medical Board, contacting the tattoo establishment licensed people, so we\u2019re certified with both departments, and, you know, it took a lot of groundwork to build this,\u201d Zuratti said. \u201cSo, since day one, safety, safety, safety — that\u2019s what we push every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe pretty much give the patient medication through an IV, they go to sleep, once they\u2019re completely asleep, they get a breathing tube,\u201d Merkel said. <\/p>\n
So far, the company has performed more than 50 procedures at South Florida Surgical Center after clients receive clearance from their primary physician, with a nurse and anesthesiologist monitoring. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s no different than getting a general anesthesia for a plastic surgery procedure, for any type of other procedure, getting a colonoscopy,\u201d Merkel said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe industry has been asking for this for a long time, but obviously it\u2019s not for everyone,\u201d tattoo artist Francisco Gomez said. <\/p>\n
For seven years, Gomez has been tattooing clients and he\u2019s been contracted with Sedation Ink for two years.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy first reaction was like, \u2018Before I say yes to anything, how is it working?\u2019\u201d Gomez said. <\/p>\n
He, along with a handful of other artists, helped to design tattoos and cover up E.C.\u2019s chest.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe second the client gets put under, there\u2019s a clock ticking, and the doctor doesn\u2019t leave the room for the entire seven hours,\u201d Gomez said. <\/p>\n
Zuratti said he wants Sedation Ink to be \u201cknown as a lead provider that focuses on safety first, and then the tattooing secondary.\u201d<\/p>\n
Medical professionals and Sedation Ink both underscore that this is a medical procedure first.<\/p>\n
Howard said serious reactions can range from airway issues to pulmonary or cardiac complications. <\/p>\n
The best practice is to check with your doctor first and verify the company performing the procedure.<\/p>\n
The price tag for Sedation Ink ranges from $32,000-$52,000. <\/p>\n
\ud83c\udfe0 News From Your Neighborhood<\/p>\n
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