Impact of awake breast surgery on post-operative lymphocyte responses

Surgical stress and general anesthesia can have detrimental effects on postoperative immune function. We sought to comparatively evaluate postoperative lymphocytes response in patients undergoing conservative breast surgery under local or general anesthesia. Between November 2011 and June 2013, 56 patients with malignant breast conditions were randomized to undergo conservative breast surgery through either sole local anesthesia and spontaneous ventilation or general anesthesia. In this randomized study, awake breast surgery under sole local anesthesia resulted in a lesser impact on postoperative lymphocyte responses than some procedures performed under general anesthesia.