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May 9, 2008 3:14 pm US/Eastern
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Breast Implant Method Lets Patients Stay Awake
DALLAS (CBS) ―
A new procedure allows breast implant patients to stay awake during surgery.
It's not for the faint of heart, but some cosmetic surgeons say there are both safety and financial advantages to going under the knife without going under, reports CBS station KTVT-TV in Dallas.
"It's a new procedure performed with the use of a remarkable medicine called tumescent fluid," said Robert True, M.D., who specializes in aesthetics and female medicine.
The patient stays awake the entire time. True uses only a local anesthetic and sometimes a mild sedative.
"You walk in, you walk out. It's minimal downtime," he said.
Diane Bullard went to True in Arlington, Texas, for breast implants and was intrigued by the idea of avoiding general anesthesia.
She allowed KTVT-TV cameras to follow her through her surgery. She said she felt a little pinch during the procedure, but that's it.
True said the tumescent technique - commonly used for liposuction - reduces the chances of bleeding during surgery and bruising afterward.
Bullard watched the entire surgery. She was awake enough to even adjust the size of her implants mid-surgery, so there would be no surprises.
This type of breast augmentation generally costs less than the traditional approach, since an anesthesiologist and a surgery center aren't necessary. But not everyone thinks watching your doctor operate is a good idea.
"Certainly not, in my opinion, ideal from a patient's standpoint," said Randy Robbins, M.D., an anesthesiologist with the Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. "I just don't think that most women would be comfortable awake during that procedure."
Robbins is skeptical of the procedure, and doesn't necessarily think it's safer than general anesthesia.
"I just can't imagine that saving a few hundred bucks or even a thousand dollars would be worth that level of anxiety," he said.
But Bullard said it was worth it. "I don't feel like I'm putting on a gunny sack anymore," she said. "It was different. Unique. And I loved it."
Because tumescent fluid is commonly used, regulatory approval is not required for this surgical technique. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons doesn't yet have a position on the procedure.
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