The Use of Tumescent Anesthesia for Breast Augmentation

Introduction: Breast augmentation surgery is traditionally performed under either general anesthesia or intravenous sedation with local anesthetic infiltration. We conducted a double-blind study of a series of patients to compare the traditional methods with one that utilizes a dilute solution of lidocaine and epinephrine (the solution used for liposuction). Materials and Methods: Two hundred forty milliliters of tumescent solution was infiltrated in the subglandular or subpectoral plane in one breast, and the contralateral breast was infiltrated with 240 mL of normal saline in a symmetric fashion. The breast augmentation procedures were then performed under general anesthesia or intravenous sedation with monitoring. Results: Immediate and delayed postoperative results showed diminished intraoperative bleeding, less postoperative bruising, and improved and prolonged anesthesia on the tumesced side as compared to the nontumesced side. Conclusions: Tumescent solution appears to have a useful adjunctive role in breast augmentation procedures.