It seems as though most surgeons I've consulted with perform breast lifts (no implants) under general anesthesia. Is a breast lift a procedure that can be performed under local anesthesia, and if so, why do most doctors choose to do general? Is the outcome limited if you just do local anesthesia with a breast lift, or can you get the same results either way?
September 17, 2017
Answer: Breast lift Hello and thank you for your question. The best advice you can receive is from an in-person consultation. In my practice, in order to optimize safety and give you the best results, I perform breast lifts under general anesthesia with a board-certified MD anesthesiologist. Make sure you specifically look at before and after pictures of real patients who have had this surgery performed by your surgeon and evaluate their results. The most important aspect is to find a surgeon you are comfortable with. I recommend that you seek consultation with a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon who can evaluate you in person. Best wishes and good luck. Richard G. Reish, M.D. Harvard-trained plastic surgeon
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September 17, 2017
Answer: Breast lift Hello and thank you for your question. The best advice you can receive is from an in-person consultation. In my practice, in order to optimize safety and give you the best results, I perform breast lifts under general anesthesia with a board-certified MD anesthesiologist. Make sure you specifically look at before and after pictures of real patients who have had this surgery performed by your surgeon and evaluate their results. The most important aspect is to find a surgeon you are comfortable with. I recommend that you seek consultation with a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon who can evaluate you in person. Best wishes and good luck. Richard G. Reish, M.D. Harvard-trained plastic surgeon
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January 31, 2021
Answer: Breast lift under local anesthesia It really depends on the type of lift required to rejuvenate the breast. If a patient has a pretty youthful looking breast, but the nipple and areola are a bit low, then a periareolar mastopexy could be potentially performed under just local anesthesia. For other types of breast lifts, such as a vertical (lollipop) or Wise pattern (anchor) mastopexy, additional IV sedation or general anesthesia would be required. With these lifts, skin is removed and the gland is "rearranged" to address the loose skin envelope and ptotic breast shape. It really is a matter of body size and the extent of dissection. There is a limit to the amount of local anesthesia that can be given as a function of body weight. If the amount of dissection needed would necessitate a large volume of local anesthesia thereby risking toxicity (which includes cardiac rhythm problems) then the operative procedure requires some other form of anesthesia. Know that some procedures can be performed with IV sedation, and a general anesthesia is not always necessary. Hope this is helpful. Consider a consultation with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with considerable experience with breast surgery.
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January 31, 2021
Answer: Breast lift under local anesthesia It really depends on the type of lift required to rejuvenate the breast. If a patient has a pretty youthful looking breast, but the nipple and areola are a bit low, then a periareolar mastopexy could be potentially performed under just local anesthesia. For other types of breast lifts, such as a vertical (lollipop) or Wise pattern (anchor) mastopexy, additional IV sedation or general anesthesia would be required. With these lifts, skin is removed and the gland is "rearranged" to address the loose skin envelope and ptotic breast shape. It really is a matter of body size and the extent of dissection. There is a limit to the amount of local anesthesia that can be given as a function of body weight. If the amount of dissection needed would necessitate a large volume of local anesthesia thereby risking toxicity (which includes cardiac rhythm problems) then the operative procedure requires some other form of anesthesia. Know that some procedures can be performed with IV sedation, and a general anesthesia is not always necessary. Hope this is helpful. Consider a consultation with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with considerable experience with breast surgery.
Helpful 4 people found this helpful