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 augmentation can readily be done as an awake procedure. You will be entirely comfortable and not experience any pain.
The two most common types of anesthesia used for breast augmentation and enhancement procedures are either general anesthesia or a combination of an IV sedation paired with a local anesthetic. It places a patient in a twilight state. Both of these options place patients into a comfortable, pain-free state.
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.
Breast augmentation surgery may also be done under general anesthesia. You will be asleep. Once you are asleep, your surgeon will put a breathing tube through your throat into your lungs. You will be connected to a ventilator.
Once you're asleep, the anesthesiologist or CRNA may insert a flexible, plastic breathing tube into your mouth and down your windpipe. The tube ensures that you get enough oxygen.
Breast augmentation requires general anesthesia, even though it is a fairly quick procedure to perform (45 minutes to 1 hour in most cases). This means you will be completely asleep and unaware of what's going on around you. This also means that you won't remember anything about the procedure itself when you wake up.
General anesthesia is an anesthetic used to induce unconsciousness during surgery. The medicine is either inhaled through a breathing mask or tube, or given through an intravenous (IV) line. A breathing tube may be inserted into the windpipe to maintain proper breathing during surgery.
There are two main types of breast reconstruction surgery, breast implant and tissue flap. See Breast Reconstruction after Mastectomy for more information. Three women describe the type of surgery that they chose to treat their breast cancer.
Patients under general anesthesia must use a breathing tube and ventilator to breathe during the procedure, as they cannot breathe on their own. Sedation does not require a breathing tube, patients can breathe on their own.
Breast implant surgery can last from one to several hours depending on the procedure and personal circumstances. If the surgery is done in a hospital, the length of the hospital stay will vary based on the type of surgery, any complications after surgery, and your general health.
The pain is usually caused by bruising, stretching or damage to nerves during surgery or when scar tissue forms. It seems to affect more people who have had surgery to the upper outer part of the breast and the armpit. These areas are particularly vulnerable to nerve injury.
Going home
You might feel very tired, so have plenty of rest and try to eat a well balanced diet. It may take quite a few weeks for some people to get their energy back, for others it may be quicker. Don't lift or carry anything heavy, or drive, while your scars heal up.
You will need to wear a supportive bra in hospital after your surgery and when at home. Some hospitals recommend wearing a bra all the time in the first few weeks. This can help to support the breast and reduce bruising.
Benefits of Awake Anesthesia
General anesthesia is necessary for some surgeries but it carries some well-known risks. Awake anesthesia eliminates the risks, effectively protects patients from pain and anxiety, and allows them to make a faster recovery without lingering side effects.
Most patients stay in the recovery room about 1-1 ½ hours before they are ready for discharge home. It depends on how quickly you recover from your anesthesia. Before going home, you will be given discharge instructions telling you exactly how to care for yourself after your surgery.
Mastectomy is considered a major surgery for the below reasons: The procedure involves permanent removal of either one or both breasts, which itself is a major risk factor. Usually, the procedure may last up to 4 hours depending on the severity of the disease. It is performed under general anesthesia.
It's major surgery that removes both breasts to remove cancer, or to reduce the risk of breast cancer in a woman who may be at high risk for the disease. It usually requires a short hospital stay and a longer recovery time that may take a few weeks to several weeks, depending on the circumstances.
The most common type of cosmetic breast surgery is augmentation, which uses fat transfers or implants to achieve the desired shape and size. Other common procedures are breast lifts, which tighten and lift existing breast tissue, and breast reductions, which remove excess fat and tissue for smaller, perkier breasts.
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.
Descriptions. Midazolam injection is used to produce sleepiness or drowsiness and relieve anxiety before surgery or certain procedures. When midazolam is used before surgery, the patient will not remember some of the details about the procedure.
Sevoflurane. Sevoflurane is relatively insoluble and its effects wear off quickly when the drug is ventilated out of the lungs at the conclusion of surgery. I recommend a maintenance concentration of 1.5% inspired sevoflurane in most patients.
For the first 4 – 6 weeks following a breast augmentation, patients should be wearing a supportive medical bra around the clock, including while sleeping, to promote proper healing and provide added support. After this time, it may be safe and appropriate to begin wearing a soft, supportive bra of your own.
Generally speaking, you shouldn't consider going braless for at least six weeks after breast augmentation. Your breasts need to be thoroughly supported during this time to ensure optimal healing. After six weeks, you may occasionally go braless, but try to keep this to special occasions, and don't make it a habit.
Breast implant removal surgery can be done under general anesthesia or local anesthesia. With local anesthesia, only the breast is numbed. Typically, local anesthesia is the choice if the surgeon will be leaving some or all of the capsules, or scar tissue, in the breast.