30 minute surgery for breast augmentation?

There are many factors that can influence how long the operation can take.  Each patient is different and their breasts are as well.  An extremely thin patient with almost no breast tissue, thin muscle, and small implant could be twenty minutes each side incision to closure.  However, if there is more breast tissue Inn the way, larger implant, increased bleeding, tighter breast tissue, etc, it may be more in the 30-45min range each side.  Thirty minutes from start to finish, while efficient, is probably pushing things a little fast.  I would ask about hematoma/ bleeding complication rates, as well as infection rates since those could be higher if things are being rushed (both should be less than 0.1%).  I hope this helps.

I would be a bit wary of anybody who is telling you that they will complete this 30 minutes. Firstly, I'm not sure quite why they're telling you this. Are they trying to impress you? I think most surgeons with a bit of experience probably could manage to finish the operation within 30 minutes but the question is would they be taking the requisite care to handle the tissue correctly, to control bleeding and to position your implants accurately for the best possible result? Anyone who performs under pressure (sportsman, musician, dancer) will take their time when it really matters. I don't believe that bragging about how quick you are makes you come across as a better surgeon and if my surgeon was displaying this sort of attitude, it would undermine my confidence in their professionalism

Hi.  That is certainly possible, and that surgeon may get very good results. However, as a patient, I would not focus on the length of time for surgery as long as it is within a reasonable range. If a surgeon is excessively fast, then he or she may well be cutting corners or doing less than ideal work. If a surgeon is taking excessively long, then there may be other issues at play. Whether your breast augmentation takes 30 minutes or one hour and 30 minutes, it matters more, in my opinion, what the end result is and what your relationship with that surgeon is and the overall care that you will receive throughout the whole process before, during and after the surgery.I would recommend consulting with a board certified plastic surgeon with good experience with breast augmentations.Good luck and take care,  Dr. Howell

Hello and thank you for your question! I would say absolutely. If you are an overall healthy individual and don't have constricted breast tissue, it is totally possible to do a breast augmentation in 30-45 minutes with that amount of experience. Just do enough research on post surgical complications and picutres for that particular surgeon. Reading reviews will help in your decision process. Hope this helps, best wishes.

Most surgeons who perform this surgery routinely can efficiently do the procedure on an uncomplicated case in less than one hour.  More important than time is the result so taking a bit longer is not a negative.  

Thank you for your question. Surgery time will vary from physician to physician, and the time it takes for the surgery has no correlation to how "happy" patients are after their procedure. It is reasonable that it may only take your surgeon 30 minutes to do a breast augmentation. Most importantly, be sure you are going to a board certified plastic surgeon.

In general you will see times for breast augmentation that range from 1-2 hours.  The times that are generally quoted are: time it takes to get patient in the room and asleep + actual surgery time + time it takes to wake patient time and leave the room.  This is usually 1-2 hours.  The actual surgery time where I am operating is 30-40 minutes, then you add 15 min for the front and back end and you have about 1 hour surgery time which is about how long it takes my procedures.  By no means am I rushing through the procedure.I feel that the differences in time between the surgeons is more attributed to efficiency in the operating room.  Having done this for 13 years and using the same scrub tech and operating room nurse allows us all to work in concert and anticipate what exactly is happening next, so the movements and timing is very efficient.I would not judge your surgeon on the operative time unless you are looking at times that are out of the norm (significantly less than 1 hour or more than 2).  This is not a race and and you don't want the surgeon rushing through the procedure to get it done quickly.  This leads to lack of attention to detail and precise surgery.Make certain you see a board certified plastic surgeon who is certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS).Hope that helps.

First, this an operation, not a race.  You don't get points for finishing first.  You get points for doing a good job.  Second, is this thirty minutes actual operating time or measured from the time you enter the OR until the time you leave.  Also, it may depend upon which technique/incision is used for the procedure.  I usually book a simple, straightforward  breast augmentation procedure for an hour because most of the places I use charge the patient from when they enter the room until when they leave the room.  The actual surgery usually takes less time, although I don't time myself.

Thank you for sharing your excellent question.  Although 30 minutes is fast, this time depends on whether they reference surgical time or the amount of time spent in the OR which includes having to put you to sleep and wake you up.  For most surgeons a breast augmentation will take between 1-2 hours of total time. Hope this helps.

Operative times will vary from surgeon to surgeon. Shorter or longer operative times are by no means a reflection of skill but rather of technique. Some approaches may be more time consuming. However, if he/she can deliver results I would not recommend putting much stock in times.That being said, the average operative time in my experience is between 1 and 2 hours. Some may be faster while others slower and both are acceptable.As always, discuss your concerns with a board certified plastic surgeon (ABPS).Donovan Rosas MD
Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member: American Society for Aesthetic Plastic
Surgery, American Society of Plastic Surgeons
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