What kind of anesthesia is used during breast augmentation plastic surgery?
Anesthesia is a complicated subject. Anesthesia is used locally in the breast tissues themselves and throughout the body using other drugs. When the drugs are administered through the IV (the vein), most people think that this is ‘IV sedation’ and not a ‘general’ anesthesia. Technically speaking, using an IV does not imply a level or degree of anesthesia but rather a route to administer the drugs. Inhalational agents are another modality or route to administer drugs and sedation. A level of sedation or consciousness is classified by how the body responds/or fails to resond to a stimuli. So there is ‘light sedation’ and ‘deep or general sedation’, the later category is refered to as ‘general anesthesia’. It does not imply a breathing tube but rather a level of unconsciousness. General anesthesia can be achieved using IV medications or inhalational medications. Inhalational delivery of drugs can be entered into the body using specialized airways or ‘breathing tubes’.
