By Dean Jabs, MD, PhD; Bryson G. Richards, MD; and Franklin D. Richards, MD
Background:
In submuscular breast augmentation, the muscle is transected along its inferior and medial border to allow the implant to rest beneath the breast mound and supply adequate cleavage. This leads to significant pain in the postoperative period. Objective: This study was undertaken to quantitatively document the effectiveness of tumescent infiltration and bupivacaine with epinephrine injection in controlling postoperative pain in primary submuscular breast augmentation and its effect on operating time, narcotic use, and complications.
Methods:
A retrospective chart review of 150 primary submuscular augmentation mammaplasties performed by 2 surgeons was conducted. Seventy-five consecutive augmentations performed by each physician during the same time period were studied. One surgeon used tumescent infiltration, using a syringe and a blunt infiltration cannula, placing 50 mL of standard tumescent solution in the planned pocket area of each breast before dissection. In addition, all cut muscle ends were injected with 0.25% bupivacaine with epinephrine (1:100,000, 40 mL per patient) under direct vision. The other surgeon omitted these steps. Patients evaluated pain subjectively using a 0 to 10 numeric pain intensity scale reported to the recovery room staff at specific times in the postanesthetic care unit.
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If you would like to learn more about plastic surgery procedures performed by Plastic Surgeons Franklin D. Richards, M.D. , A. Dean Jabs, M.D. and Dr. Keshav Magge please visit https://cosmeticplastics.com/ or http://breastaugmentationmd.com/ Serving patients in and around Northern Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC, McLean, Bethesda, Fairfax County, Rockville, Alexandria, Chevy Chase an, Potomac, Montgomery County, and Londoun County.
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Board-certified plastic surgeons Dr. Richards, Dr. Jabs, and Dr. Magge lead Cosmetic Surgery Associates in Bethesda, MD. They specialize in personalized cosmetic procedures delivered with exceptional skill and care, helping every patient look and feel their best.
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