Can a breast lift procedure be performed under local anesthesia?
Not really, I prefer to do all my breast lifts under general anesthesia. Some surgeons may do a peri-areolar breast lift alone under local, but that’s not common. Remember, if it is not a board certified plastic surgeon then the doctor may not be able to get privileges to do a breast lift in an OR or hospital, so be cautious if they are trying to get you to do it in the office under local. Good luck.
While I suppose a breast procedure can be done under local, I do not recommend it. It is very difficult to anesthetize the tissues adequately enough for you to be pain-free during the procedure without having some sort of sedation as well.
Breast surgery can be done well under IV sedation augmented with local anesthesia where you don't have to put a breathing tube in patients, or under standard general anesthesia where you do have to put a breathing tube. Doing small things under local anesthesia is also possible in select cases but proper patient selection is very important.
Hello and thank you for your excellent question. If this is a simple peri-areolar lift, then yes, it can be performed under local anesthesia. It is best to answer your question during a face-to-face evaluation, when you can discuss your goals and expectations for the procedure, and you can have a physical examination to evaluate for that procedure. I recommend that you find a board-certified, or board-eligible plastic surgeon with whom you are comfortable. Be sure to have all of your questions answered during a face-to-face meeting with your surgeon, and review before and after pictures of similar patients whom have had this procedure. If you have any questions, call our office for assistance. Good luck!
Valetena< It is difficult to do a breast lift with just local anesthesia because it is a large area and the injection of local can be uncomfortable. However, with sedation it is very reasonable to use just local. You don't need to have general anesthesia. But, you need to find a plastic surgeon who is comfortable doing it this way. Please look at the "Find a Surgeon" link for your area and call a few of the offices. Ask if the board-certified ASPS member can perform a breast lift under local with sedation. I bet you'll find a qualified surgeon who is happy to help you. Good luck!