Do patients have the option of general or local anesthesia during a breast lift? as i enter my 30s, my breast are starting to sag and i would like to have a breast lift. do patients tend to be less nervous or more nervous about going under for general ane

There : There are times when patients have the option with regards to the type of anesthesia they will receive for surgery. The surgery you are considering can be done by local anesthesia or general anesthesia, depending on what technique the surgeon will be using to accomplish your goals. Your surgeon should have some input here. As far as the restrictions placed on you by an anesthesiologist go, there are multiple opinions regarding these. I feel that patients should avoid solids for at least 8 hours before anesthesia of any type. I will explain this in a moment. As for liquids, there is disagreement. My opinion is to avoid liquids, except for clear liquids such as water, fruit juices without pulp, etc.. The explanation for this is that if stomach contents, which are highly acidic, come up and into your lungs while anesthetized, you have a high probability of getting a severe pneumonia or even die. The reason we ask patients having local anesthesia with any kind of sedation to avoid eating and thus "aspiration" is that many times we start an anesthetic as a local but because of unpredictable circumstances may end up requiring strengthening the anesthetic or sedating you past the point at which you can avoid aspirating(inhaling stomach contents). So, unless you can be assured no sedative will be used, avoid eating or drinking for 8 hours before anesthesia. Good luck and i hope all goes well, as it usually does.

Yes: Most are done with general or at the least sedation and local. My recommendation do it under general..

Yes, but!: The patient's choice is always taken into account with any anesthetic. However, a straight local anesthetic will not be an ideal anesthetic for this procedure. I would expect that sedatives would be used to make you more comfortable for this procedure. A full general anesthetic would be another option. All patients are nervous about any anesthetic. That is why we use anxiolytics like versed.

Anesthesia for Lift: Cosmetic breast surgery can be performed under local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia. I prefer general anesthesia. It is very safe and allows me to concentrate on the details involved in giving you a superb result. You should be well informed prior to surgery, which will help reduce your anxiety. You will also be given medication to help you relax.

Most: Lifts, except all but the most minor ones, are done safely under general, and people are less nervous that way.

Usually Gen.: Although there are many different options available, most plastic surgeons use general anesthesia for breast lifting surgery. This, of course varies from one practice to another but I use general anesthesia for the vast majority of breast procedures. Provided by board-certified anesthesiologist, general anesthesia provides for a safe/comfortable experience….