Breast Augmentation: Q&A

Ask a Question

Local Anesthesia for Submuscular Breast Augmentation Possible?

I'm a 22 year old girl. I am considering Breast augmentation. My question is, can I have Breast Implants, either silicone or saline submuscular under local anesthesia?

And if I consider Saline implants, will it be noticeable and look and feel natural? Thank you for your help.

Tags:

age 18-24 breasts female saline implants silicone implant anesthesia natural submuscular

Comment on this

14 Doctor Answers | Asked by ronaldo in Egypt

Doctor Answers (14)
Community Comments (0)

For a natural look use silicone implants in a subfascial plane

It is certainly possible but its just safer more pleasant and more reasonable to sedate the patient if going under the muscle. However if you are after a natural look I would avoid under the muscle and look into subfascial placement. In my opinion, using the subfascial plane is really the only way to get the most natural appearing tear-drop breasts. This is why I developed the COLD-SUBFASCIAL technique. Also avoid Saline as they dont look or feel antural and tend... more

Breast augmentation more difficult under local anesthesia

Usually, local anesthetic (with IV sedation) breast enlargements are done over the muscle since it is a lot easier to numb the breast and difficult to numb the muscle which is vascular and down deep. There will be struggles on your part, and your doctors, to numb, and relax the muscle just with shots of local anesthetic. Tumescent local anesthesia helps, but tumescent anestheisa doesn't diffuse well into the muscle. Nerve blocks around the ribs help a lot, but the lung can be punctured with... more

Local anesthesia for breast augmentation is possible

You will not have local anesthesia, but probably have local anesthesia with IV sedation. It is possible to do it, but buyer beware. A lot of doctors who are not plastic surgeons are offering breast augmentation by local anesthesia not because it is the best choice for their patients, but because that is the only way they can do it . They may not have hospital privileges to do the procedure, they may not have the equipment necessary to offer you more options, and they may be skimping out on... more

No to breast implants under local anesthesia

It will be helpful first to distinguish between the various options for anesthesia. When we say local anesthesia, that typically means no other medications such as sedatives are used. At the other end is general anesthesia, where the patient is completely unconscious. In between is a very common technique which uses local anesthesia plus intravenous sedation, so that you are given medications through an IV. I would not suggest that you try to have implant surgery done under local only, but... more

Possible but painful

Anything is possible. But the best results and your comfort is our responsiblity as plastic surgeons. I do many breast augmentation surgeries. All are done with an anesthesiologist putting our patients asleep and making them comfortable. Go to a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon for the best results. You will be glad you did. Good Luck! Andrew Cohen, M.D.

Breast augmentation can be performed under local anesthesia, either with intravenous

Sedation or with tumescent anesthesia (similar to liposuction). Particularly if the implants are placed in the subglandular position (above the muscle), you might do very well without general anesthesia. As regards your question about saline implants, iif you have them placed above the muscle then you can have a problem with rippling in the implants that can be visible through the skin. If my patient is determined to use saline rather than silicone, that I would recommend... more

Breast Augmentation Under Local Anesthesia: Airway Concerns When Put In Sitting Position in OR

One of the answers here is eloquently stated: CAN it be done....of course it CAN...but SHOULD it be done? Usually if a breast augmentation is performed under local anesthesia, some form of sedation is used in conjunction with the local injections for patient comfort. Often a heavy sedation is necessary during the dissection and in a laying down position, the anesthesia person can usually readily support the patient's airway, i.e., make sure the patient is breathing . In... more

Anesthesia for implants

While it is possible to perform breast augmentation under local anesthesia, I prefer to make my patients as comfortable as possible by using sedation or general anesthesia. Silicone implants usually feel softer than saline.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Submuscular breast augmentation is best done using general anesthesia

I have seen several sub muscular breast augmentation done using local and IV sedation, and I do not recommend it. It is impossible to keep the patient comfortable enough without risking giving too much sedation. The patient moves and complains during surgery, forcing the surgeon to concentrate on other issues rather than performing the surgery properly. see video

Breast augmentation under local anesthesia with sedation

I have performed many breast augmentations under local anesthesai with IV sedation and have abandoned this technique because it is more uncomfortable to the patient and to the surgeon than using a physician anesthesiologist with a light general anesthetic. I also am aware of a case in my region where local anesthesia was done for an aug and the patient had both lungs punctured by the injection of the local and the result was a disaster. So don't assume local is "safer"!!... more

Can Sub-muscular Breast Augmentation be done under local anesthesia?

Hi there- Your question raises several sticky issues.... It is very important to realize that there are really two questions here... "CAN (something) be done?", and "Is it in my BEST INTERESTS to do (it) this way?" There are a great many things being offered to patients as advancements ("lunchtime facelift!", "No-down-time Laser!!", "Liposuction without surgery!!!!!") in order to attract them to the practice or med-spa for a treatment or pr more

Breast Augmentation under Local Anesthesia

To be clear ALL methods of anesthesia applicable here need to be defined - Oral sedation ONLY - IE taking a Valium to calm you down - IV sedation ONLY (aka Twilight anesthesia) - injecting various drugs that reduce consciousness and pain by vein - require careful monitoring to prevent over-dosing and equipment to reverse it and revive you should this happen - Local anesthesia ONLY - injecting a local anesthetic into the area of surgery to dull the pain (you will feel pulling and touching... more

Breast augmentation under local anesthesia

As my colleagues have stated, anything is possible but not necessarily desireable. Surgeons use to perform amputations without anesthesia but that is not something we seek to do when better alternatives are available. Local anesthesia is NOT preferred for Submuscular breast augmentation but it can be performed with IV sedation.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

32 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Breast Augmentation can be performed under local

You can have ANY surgery under local anesthesia. However, your ability to tolerate this surgery will depend on your pain tolerance and on the provider being able to obtain a successful nerve block through these means. You will have some pain and discomfort during your procedure, however, the local will take the edge off. Your surgeon may also give you some form of narcotic pain relief (for example, Demerol shot) to help ease the pain. I prefer to offer my patients submuscular augmentation... more