We provide an excellent and safe alternative to traditional general anesthesia for breast reduction, allowing fully awake patients under thoracic epidural sensorial–only anesthesia and spontaneous breathing. The procedure has a high level of surgeon, anesthetist and, most importantly, patient satisfaction.
The surgery can be done under local anesthesia, where the patient remains awake and only the breast is numbed to block the pain, or under general anesthesia, where medicine is given to make the patient sleep. Most women receive general anesthesia for this surgery.
Breast surgery can be done well under IV sedation augmented with local anesthesia where you don't have to put a breathing tube in patients, or under standard general anesthesia where you do have to put a breathing tube.
General Anesthesia
This remains the most common form of anesthesia provided to people undergoing breast surgery. With this choice, you are completely asleep during your operation. General anesthesia is often combined with a local anesthetic to reduce pain at the incision site.
But did you know there are surgeries during which patients are intentionally left awake? While the body areas being operated on are completely numbed and other precautions may be taken, some surgeries do not require patients to be put under general anesthesia.
The condition, called anesthesia awareness (waking up) during surgery, means the patient can recall their surroundings, or an event related to the surgery, while under general anesthesia. Although it can be upsetting, patients usually do not feel pain when experiencing anesthesia awareness.
Small pieces of sticking tape are commonly used to keep the eyelids fully closed during the anaesthetic. This has been shown to reduce the chance of a corneal abrasion occurring. 1,2 However, bruising of the eyelid can occur when the tape is removed, especially if you have thin skin and bruise easily.
You should expect some discomfort after the procedure as your breast tissue will be swollen and bruised. You may also temporarily lose sensation in your breast skin and nipples. Most women can handle post-op discomfort well with the help of pain medication.
Is the breast reduction procedure painful? Anesthesia will be given during the procedure, but you should expect to feel sore for two to three days after surgery. You will be prescribed pain medication, and your surgeon may advise placing wrapped ice packs gently over sore areas to help with pain and swelling.
Take it easy for one week. Take short walks, move slowly, take care of yourself, eat healthy foods and drink plenty of water. Do not try to exercise, diet or do anything more than rest and recover. You will need to sleep on your back for at least 2-3 weeks.
Breast Reduction, or Reduction Mammoplasty, involves the removal of fat, glandular tissue, and skin from the breasts and makes them appear smaller, lighter and firmer. Reduction of the size of the areola, the darker skin around the nipple, can also be done.
The operation takes 2 to 3 hours, depending on the extent of the breast reduction. You'll usually need to stay in hospital for 1 or 2 nights.
Most women who get breast reduction are very satisfied with the results. Men with conditions such as gynecomastia (in which male breasts are abnormally enlarged) may also have it. Because it's major surgery, you should know the benefits, potential complications, and what's involved in recovery.
About once in every 1,000 to 2,000 surgeries, patients may gain some awareness when they should be unconscious. They may hear the doctors talking and remember it afterward. Worse yet, they may feel pain but be unable to move or tell the doctors. “It's a real problem, although it's quite rare,” says Dr.
As far as wearing the bra to bed at night, that is optional. If the patient has undergone a reshaping of an existing scar tissue pocket at the time of the breast surgery, however, we advise that the bra be worn for six weeks at night while sleeping.
Essentially, you'll need to sleep in an elevated position after breast augmentation surgery for at least one to two months (around six weeks for the majority of patients). The reason is that this position helps to reduce swelling, largely by taking the pressure off the incision areas and the implants themselves.
Following breast reduction surgery, the majority of patients will experience mild to moderate pain. Sensations typically felt vary from swelling, tenderness, stiffness to shooting pains or a burning sensation.
One of the most significant advantages of weight loss after breast reduction surgery. Most women report feeling much more capable of exercising and maintaining their weight after the operation. It's common for women to lose between 10 and 20 pounds in the months following surgery.
Breast reduction risks can include:
Blood clots. Breast asymmetry. Breast contour and shape irregularities. Changes in nipple or breast sensation, which may be temporary or permanent.
During your recovery, your activity level will be significantly reduced. This decrease in movement can lead to fluid retention, increasing your swelling and bloating symptoms. Without being able to engage in the physical activity you usually would, you may even recognise a small weight gain. This is completely normal!
Lifting your arms over your head can place strain on incision sites which in some cases can cause wound breakdown and delay recovery. This can worsen the appearance of breast reduction scars and damage the final results of your surgery.
The process of waking up from anesthesia is known as emergence. During emergence, the anesthesiologist will slowly reduce the amount of anesthetic drugs in the body. This helps to reduce the intensity of the effects of anesthesia and allows the patient to regain consciousness.
Patients frequently report having dreams during general anesthesia. The incidence of dreams during general anesthesia that have been reported by patients upon awakening has been reported to range from 10 to 36% [1] and to be higher in younger patients, female patients [2], and patients who received ketamine [3].
Under light general anesthesia, the eye moves in slow oscillatory sweeps due to the incomplete recovery from saccades.