Breast Augmentation: Q&A

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I'm Very Worried About Waking Up During Breast Augmentation Surgery

I am apprehensive for breast augmentation surgery - although I am located very close to both Birmingham, AL surgeons and Atlanta, GA surgeons who are known to be very reputable. The money is not a problem and I have wanted to do this ever since I had my daughter (she is now 8), I am 27. But, I have severe concerns about waking up during surgery, or even not waking up at all. Let me preface this with the fact that I have been put under completely before with a C-section. Can anyone help?

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12 Doctor Answers | Asked by southrnprincess in Hoover, AL

Doctor Answers (12)
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Intraop awareness

Southrn princess: You should ask your surgeon and anesthesiologist about their experience with "intraop awareness". To circumvent this issue, our anesthesiologists always use the BIS monitor, which is a device which measures brain wave activity (electroencephalogram). Since implementing this additional monitoring device, I haven't had a single complaint of intraop awareness and the rapidity of emergence from anesthesia is excellent. This technique is... more

Lavinia Chong, MD

22 reviews

Orange County Plastic Surgeon

www.chongmd.com

Waking up during breast augmentation surgery

You might want to consider having your breast augmentation procedure done under local anesthesia where you are not put to sleep (general anesthesia) and don't have to be awakened from the anesthesia. This is done with monitored IV sedation so that you likely won't have any memory of the procedure or putting in the local anesthetic. The risk of general anesthesia is quite low but the risk of local anesthesia with IV sedation is even lower, plus the effects on your... more

Select a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Member of ASPS

Board Certified Plastic Surgeons who are members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons are required to operate only in certified facilities (certification by AAAASF, JCAHO, State Organizations or Medicare). This will minimize the likelihood of any anesthetic practice that would make waking up during surgery. Rest easy:)

Breast augmentation surgery is very safe

It is not at all uncommon that young mothers having aesthetic surgery are fearful of leaving their babies. Rest assured, this is a very safe operation with low risks of anesthetic complication or we as surgeons would not be doing it. After all, breast surgery of this sort is completely elective and only done when risk is extremely low. In 12 years of practice, I have not had one patient wake up during surgery. There are many things that are done in the operating room to make sure... more

You will wake up after breast augmentation surgery but not during!

Although there are a few different ways to do the anesthesia for breast augmentation, all of them involve multiple systems of monitoring to keep you safe and comfortable. You should of course have the surgery in an accredited surgical facility. To put it in perspective, your drive to the facility will be the riskiest part of your day.

Waking up during breast augmentation surgery

Anesthesia services in today's world are extremely sophistocated as long as you're working with board certified plastic surgeons. Many board certified surgeons have their own operating room which allows them to be in complete control of there operations. Our choice of anesthesia services is based on proper training and first class equipment. Because we are doing primarily aesthetic, or cosmetic surgery, all of our attention is dedicated to the highest form of service for our... more

Anesthesia and surgery

It is extremely unlikely that you would wake up during breast augmentation surgery during the procedure. The anesthesiologists I use, and I am sure most of the lalstic surgeons, use are exceptional. The medications and technology available today, I think almost completely eliminates any such risk.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Awakening during anesthesia for breast augmentation

This has occurred in the past, but, thanks to advances in anesthesia monitoring, is almost unheard of now. Most certified Anesthesiologists at certified facilities use a BIS Monitor. They place this device on your forehead to monitor your brain waves. This tells them how asleep you are. By using it, they can tell that you are not too deep (causing problems awakening) or too shallow (likely to awaken). Discuss with your surgeon who will provide your anesthesia. Make sure it is a certified... more

No one wakes up during surgery or doesn't wake up at all.

It's a fiction that people wake up during surgery when done in a JCAHO ceritifed facility and with a Board Certified Anethesiologist. Pick the right doctors and you'll sleep like a baby and wake up when they want you to. You'll be fine and you won't die. Check all the credentials and you'll have a great surgical experience.

Waking Up during breast Augmentation

Waking up, or worse feeling the surgery but being unable to move, are EXTREMELY RARE. The ONLY time they may be encountered is in massive injury surgery when the patient is actively bleeding and the anesthesia may be light to prevent losing blood pressure and the patient and even in such extreme cases they are rare. The likelihood of you being awake during cosmetic surgery done by a professional team is as close to zero as any event in Medicine can get. You may want to speak with... more

Breast augmentation with implants and anesthesia

As Dr. Rand has advised, I would also recommend a qualified physician anesthesiologist with whom the plastic surgeon has worked. You could consider having the procedure at a hospital as well, In any event it is highly unlikely if you have general anesthesia to wake up during the procedure.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

32 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Anesthesia for breast augmentation

Please check with your plastic surgeon and make sure they have a physician anesthesiologist (an M.D.) rather than a nurse anesthetist, as a doctor represents the higher level of anesthesia training. Make sure they have worked with this person extensively and that the surgery will be done in an accredited facility. Make sure the plastic surgeon has extensive experience and has done thousands of augs so you will have the smoothest quickest surgery possible. With all this, you... more