Is 24 Hour Breast Augmentation Recovery Possible?

I routinely post to the “ask a surgeon” panel on Real Self. The other day I read a question posed to surgeon’s regarding the ability to recover from breast augmentation in 24 hours as described in Dr. Tebbets book. There is no way any surgeon can assure you that you would have a “24 Hour Recovery” from a breast augmentation procedure as Dr. Tebbets reports in his book.

I’ve visited Dr. Tebbets and I am familiar with what he has written. I even share his goals of minimizing surgical trauma and using local anesthesia injections to decrease recovery. That being said, I don’t take too seriously his “24 hour” claim, nor do I find it particularly helpful for breast augmentation patients. In fact, while I agree that there is a dramatic ability to improve breast augmentation recovery, it is likely that given Dr. Tebbets’ very strong personality that patients having trouble with recovery or pain after 24 hours are simply too intimidated to mention it to him.

Here is our approach to optimizing breast augmentation recovery at Colorado Plastic Surgery Center:

1. Block sensation to the breast as completely as possible using local anesthetic injections.
2. Perform the breast augmentation surgery using IV sedation verses general anesthesia.
3. Minimize trauma to the tissues with a gentle, deliberate surgical technique.
4. Use muscle relaxant medication and, as needed, pain medication after surgery.

I use IV sedation for breast augmentation in my Denver based practice. I also spend take the first 5 minutes the patient is under anesthesia to thoroughly block  sensation to the breast. I believe this approach provides three huge benefits:

1. I learn from every patient how well my block is working,
2. The breast’s sensation is blocked before performing surgery, which dramatically decreases the body’s physiologic pain response, and
3. The patients recover more quickly from IV sedation with fewer nausea/vomiting side effects and less of the fatigue and “hangover” that comes with general anesthesia.

The vast majority of our patients report minimal or no sharp pain in the operating room at the end of their breast augmentation surgery and do not require any pain medication in the recovery room. For many of these patients, perhaps a “24 hour Recovery” would apply. And while I agree with Dr. Tebbets’ goals, I feel that his claims for the “24 hour recovery” are a bit of a stretch.

If you are considering breast augmentation in Denver, Colorado, please contact us to schedule a consultation to learn if Colorado Plastic Surgery Center is the right facility for your procedure.