What type of anesthesia is typically used for breast reduction? IV, gas, meds?

General Anesthesia is used for Breast Reduction surgery. These surgeries can last 2-3 hours and it is the best and safest way to go in my opinion. My husband is our board certified anesthesiologist and he starts an IV and administers propofol initially to put you to sleep, then an inhalational anesthesia called sevoflurane along with narcotics as needed. We usually use a laryngeal mask rather than a tube that goes down into the throat. Side effects can be nausea and vomiting,  so we also administer anti-nausea medicine through the IV. Additional anti nausea medicines can be given afterwards if that tends to be an issue for you.

We usually use general anesthesia for breast reduction, but it's done as outpatient in almost all of the cases that we do.

Hi and thanks for your question.  General anesthesia is most commonly used for breast reduction surgery.  This is the safest and easiest approach for both the patient and the surgeon.  A visit to a plastic surgeon's office will help you to understand if you're a candidate for the procedure, and what outcomes are realistic in your particular case.  In order to get a qualified, ethical, and expert opinion on your surgical options and expectations, always schedule an in-person office consultation with a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
Best of luck,
Keith M. Blechman, MD
New York, NY

Glad to hear you had such a positive experience.  Most reductions are done under general anesthesia, but not all general anesthetics are the same!  You don't need the same meds for a reduction as you would for a liver transplant, for example.  Consider requesting a copy of your anesthesia medical record, so that if you have surgery in the future, your can provide it to your care team.  

Hi there and thanks for your question!  A breast reduction is usually done under a general anesthesia using a combination of IV medication and inhalation anesthesia through a mask.  Patients can sometimes have nausea after general anesthesia, however there are medications made specifically for post-op nausea/vomiting that can help with these symptoms. Hope this helps and best of luck! 

Although IV Sedation can be used for smaller breast reductions, the most common and recommended choice for anesthesia is General Anesthesia.

With breast reduction and other outpatient cosmetic procedures the anesthesia is either sedation or general anesthesia.  I don't believe in sedation because it's the same as general but here isn't any airway protection.  For all anesthesia an IV is placed.  In the operating room, for general anesthesia, typically a benzodiazapine is given first.  This relaxes the patient and results in amnesia.  Then the patient is sedated with Propofol.  An LMA is placed. This is a breathing tube that sits in the back of the throat. You will still breath on your own; the ventilator does not breath for you.  Then typically an anesthetic gas may or may not be used.  In addition there are multiple other medications given to prevent pain and nausea after surgery.  Obtaining your previous anesthetic record can really help the anesthesiologist for your breast reduction.

Thank you for your question.Typically for breast reduction a general anesthetic is used.  The case will typically begin with an IV infusion of pain medications, anti anxiety medications, and short acting sedative like propofol.  This will allow placement of the airway device either an endotracheal tube (ET) or a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) to then deliver anesthesia gases that will keep you asleep.  Many surgeons will use a tumescent fluid infiltration commonly used during liposuction that will help minimize blood losses and helps with pain control as well.Common side effects are nausea and some fatigue related to the general anesthetic.  Best Dr. L

Commonly general anesthesia is used. Sometimes IV sedation is an option as well. It depends upon your overall  medical condition.

Thank you for illuminating an important issue with your question!  For many orthopaedic operations, it is a combination of nerve blocks (numbing medicine placed in close proximity to the nerves providing sensation to the area) and general anesthesia (being totally asleep).  For breast reductions, general anesthesia is the most common anesthesia given.  It is usually a combination of intravenous medications and inhaled gas, but can be done with IV medications only.  For each individual patient, the anesthesiologist will decide which is more advantageous and less likely to have unfavorable after effects such as nausea.  If you did well with your rotator cuff, the record of the anesthesia can always be obtained and looked over by the anesthesiologist for your breast reduction and similar strategies can be employed.  Best wishes for a beautiful result!