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Is It Common to Use Local Anesthesia for Brachioplasty Revision?

asked 2 years ago by moosie1234 in USA
Latest answer by Robert L. Kraft, MD
Question viewed 1,194 times
Tags: arms, anesthesia, revision

I had a Brachioplasty (Arm Lift) done in early 2009. The surgeon and I agreed a revision would be a good idea to remove the remaining excess hanging skin. He has suggested doing this in his office with local anesthesia...I will be awake. Yikes..

Is it routine to do such a procedure in an office (not a surgery center) with only a local? I think if I see him cutting my arm flesh off I'll pass out! Has anyone removed excess skin all the way along the length of both arms in an office with just a local? Thanks for your input!

27 answers to Is It Common to Use Local Anesthesia for Brachioplasty Revision?

+1

Arm Lift Revision

It is very common to do scar revisions or arm lift revisions in office.  I usually try to do most scar revisions in office to save my patients money.  Otherwise the patient will have to pay for anesthesia and operating room. 
Siamak Agha, MD, PhD

Orange County Plastic Surgeon

www.drsiamakagha.com

+5

Brachioplasty and Anesthesia

The decision on what level of anesthesia to use should be based on a number of factors including patient preference, medical condition, medical history and extent of work to be done. A board certified plastic surgeon must understand during the consultation process the patient's needs, expectations, and lifestyle before recommending the ideal surgical plan including anesthesia level.
Kris M. Reddy, MD, FACS

West Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm lift revision

Many revisional surgeries can be performed in the office under local anesthesia. You can leave the office immediately after the procedure and will not have the cost and postop side effects of sedation. If you are placed properly on the OR tsbke, you will not see a thing. If you have anxiety about it, your doctor can provide oral medication, such as Xanax, to take the edge off. If you opt for anesthesia, you may have to incur additional costs so check with your plastic surgeon. more
Robert L. Kraft, MD

New York Plastic Surgeon
+1

Scar Revision Armlifting?

Thank you for the question. Unfortunately, the scars that result from arm lifting surgery may be problematic; scar revision surgery is often necessary. This procedure may be done under local or general anesthesia. This decision should be made mutually by patient and surgeon after discussion of the pros/cons of each type of anesthesia. I hope this helps.
Tom J. Pousti, MD

San Diego Plastic Surgeon
+1

A revision brachioplasty can be performed under local anesthesia

A revision brachioplasty can surgely be performed under local anesthesia in an office. This can be a cost effective way to further improve the results. The trade off is that it will be less comfortable and may take longer versus performing this with sedation or general anesthesia as an outpatient. If there is any doubt about you tolerating this approach including regarding the pain issue or anxiety, then elect to do the procedure either with the sedation or with general anesthesia - it... more
Steven Turkeltaub, MD

Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon
+1

Brachioplasty(arm lift) revision anesthesia options

 Local anesthesia can be a viable option for revision arm lift surgery.    Revisions in an office setting can be very cost effective but there is some discomfort as a trade off.  Often some oral sedation can make even a larger procedure under local anesthesia not only possible but a good option.  Personally, I get a little faint when I get blood drawn so IV sedation in an approved facility looks better.
Craig Harrison, MD

Tyler Plastic Surgeon
+1

Local anestesia is only advised for revisions if you are able to relax.

It is common to have revisional surgeries under local anestesia if you are able to handle it.  It is easier for you and your surgeon if you are relaxed and not full of anxiety.  You will be injected with numbing medication and should not feel much.  Local also involved oral medication to help you relax.  The injections may be the worst part.  If you feel you may be a little anxious about it, schedule general or even a twilight procedure. 
Otto Joseph Placik, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1

Brachioplasty scar revison

It is certainly acceptable to perform a scar revision on a brachioplasty scar under local anesthesia.
Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Brachioplasty revision can be done under local in an OR

A brachioplasty scar can be reivsed under local in an office setting, however if you will require a more involved skin excision and or fat removal you will likely need to have this done in an operating room.  This will help prevent infection and if you need more anesthesia, it can be done in a safer fashion this way. Please consult a board certified plastic surgeon before undergoing your revision. Best wishes, Dr.Bruno
William Bruno, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon
+1

Brachioplasty can be done in the office OR.

It is not unusual to perform scar revision surgery in the office operating room.  In fact, many of us (including myself) do the actual brachioplasty surgery in the office operating room with relatively light sedation.  I do not disagree with a general anesthesia and stil do this occasionally for patients who are not good candidates for a procedure without general anesthesia. Understand, this is a AAAASF certified operating room and not just a minor procedure room.  I... more
York Jay Yates, MD

Salt Lake City Plastic Surgeon
+1

Local anesthesia for scar or contour revision

Scar Revision following Brachioplasty  (Body Contouring Surgery) is a common procedure performed under local anesthesia in an office setting. However, Contour Revision combined  with Scar Revision may require a return to the operating room with a greater level of anesthesia depending on the extent of the revision that you require. Prior to revision of any Body Contouring Surgery site, it is important to compare, with your Plastic Surgeon, your pre-operative photos... more
Christopher D. Prevel, MD

Orlando Plastic Surgeon
+1

Brachioplasty revision can be done under local anesthesia.

Most revisional surgery can be performed with local anesthesia.  Obviously, this is tailored to the make-up of the patient and requires enduring some discomfort.
Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon
+1

Scar Revision Surgery Under Local Anesthesia

Most scar revision surgery is performed in the office, under local anesthesia. The procedure is usually well tolerated, even if you are nervous. By eliminating sedation, the surgery is safer, and by doing it in the office the cost is reduced. An iPod can be a good distraction if you like music. It gives you something to concentrate on, and helps time pass more quickly. If you find it too uncomfortable, the procedure can be rescheduled with sedation or deeper anesthesia in an... more
Joseph Mele, MD

Walnut Creek Plastic Surgeon
+1

This will be okay

It is not unusual for revisions to be performed as an in-office procedure using local anesthesia.  In your case the revision will most likely be a level that was not nearly as deep as your brachioplasty.  Plus you do not have the trouble of prepping for surgery with general anesthesia when in this case local anesthesia is more than adequate. Dr. ES
Earl Stephenson Jr., MD, DDS

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon
+1

Scar revisions in the office are commonly done under local anesthesia

This is actually very common.  Just make sure your surgeon knows you're nervous about the procedure, and I'm sure he/she will take extra good care of you :)
Carmen Kavali, MD

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon
+1

Revision of brachioplsty in the office.

This kind of procedure can be done in the office under local anesthesia but if you think that mentally you could not tolerate it, you would need to be sedated. Depending on the equipment and the facilities this could also be done in the office.
Farhad Rafizadeh, MD

Morristown Plastic Surgeon
+1

Armlift surgery revisions can be done under local

Moosie1234, armlift revisions can be done under local anesthesia as long as the procedure is not too extensive.  The limiting factor is the amount of local anesthesia that can be injected safely.  If there was no limit then all surgeries could be done under local if sufficient amount of local was injected throughout all areas that are to be operated upon. In your case, looking at your pictures, it appears like performing the revision under local is a pretty reasonable thing... more
Martin Jugenburg, MD

Toronto Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm lift and anesthesia choice

It is possible to do arm lift scar revision in office setting with local anesthesia, but it is not optimal approach, unless the area to be treated is relatively small.  Usually the doctor will suggest this approach to save the the patient some money.  Ideally, the surgeon will have access to an outpatient surgery center, whether in his office  or free standing, where this type of scar revision can be performed at a minimal cost. The patient's comfort, safety and final... more
Boris M. Ackerman, MD

Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon
+1

Armlift revisions are commonly done in the office using local anesthesia

In the majority of revisions that I do for the brachioplasty procedure the office setting is most appropriate . This is mainly because there are typically those areas of the scar which didnt heal well that require only minor revisions, or there are areas of skin that have some assymetry or redundancy that may allow for excision under local anesthesia
Nick Masri, MD

Miami Plastic Surgeon
+1

Revisions under local anesthesia

It depends... if you can tolerate the injections, its certainly safe to do in the office and under oral sedation.  If your pain tolerances are poor, it would be better to do in an operating room under IV sedation or with an anesthesiologist assuming you have the whole arm to "redo".  If you only have very small areas of concern, local anesthesia would be your best and most cost efficient option.
Curtis Wong, MD

Redding Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm Lift or Brachioplasty Revision can be performed with Local Anesthesia

A scar revision or removal or slightly more skin can be performed under local anesthesia safely. The key to minimizing discomfort is the create a comfortable environment and minimize the pain of the injection of lidocaine. At Desai Plastic Surgery, we typically have patients place a numbing cream prior to the procedure to minimize the pain of the injections. In addition, we add a buffering solution to decrease the burning some experience with lidocaine injections.
Ankit Desai, MD

Jacksonville Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm lift (brachioplasty) anesthesia

You mentioned the revision was being done for 'excess hanging skin' - this sounds likes a true revision of an arm lift, and not just a scar revision. I would recommend having the revision done with some sedation, rather than just local anesthesia. I feel a more complete revision could be done in a shorter period of time. I do think that scar revision is fine to do under local anethesia.
Scott Sattler, MD

Bellevue Plastic Surgeon
+1

Brachioplasty revision

Brachioplasty revision can mean lots of things. If it is a simple excision of skin and scar then yes it can be done. However, the patient has to be ready and accepting to some pain when injecting the local anesthesia. If the revision is a total revision then to do a good job, general anesthesia is the way. One does not want to infiltrate the arm with lots of fluid, and local anesthetic limits the amount to be excised and also makes the closure more difficult.
Samir Shureih, MD

Baltimore Plastic Surgeon
+1

Local anesthesia can be used for Brachioplasty Revision

Local anesthesia can be used to revise Brachioplasty and other scars. If you think you are not going to be able to lay quietly and allow him/her to do the revision make sure you say so. You may then have to pay the cost of an outpatient facility and anesthesiologist but you will NOT "be awake. Yikes.."
Peter A. Aldea, MD

Memphis Plastic Surgeon
+1

Local Anesthesia for Brachioplasty Revision

You certainly can have the revision performed under local in the surgeon's office. If you are concerned about 'being able to do this", you can discuss the possibility of having it done in a facility with MAC or general anesthesia. This would obviously increase your costs. You should discuss this with your plastic surgeon.
John Whitt, MD

Louisville Plastic Surgeon
+1

Brachioplasty and Anesthesia

I have revised the scars under local anesthesia and patients do fine.  Now performing essentially a redo brachioplasty can certainly be done under local but patient comfort needs to be assessed. So this is really something that you need to discuss with your plastic surgeon. Good luck.
Farbod Esmailian, MD

Orange County Plastic Surgeon
+1

Need to discuss with your plastic surgeon

It certainly can be done using local anesthesia.  There are, of course, some patients who will not tolerate the procedure.  If this is the case an honest discussion with your surgeon is in order. 
Jeffrey Zwiren, MD

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

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