Outpatient breast surgery under intercostal block anesthesia.
During the past 3 years, we have performed various breast operations in 320 patients under local anesthesia, using intercostal nerve block. The amount of local anesthetic solution required has been about 20 ml 1% lidocaine for blocking both sides, and an additional 24 ml of 0.5% lidocaine during the surgery. This dosage is well within safe limits. We have found that various breast operations, ranging from augmentation mammaplasty to a staged reconstruction after mastectomy, can be done with this method of anesthesia. The complications attributable to the nerve block were nil in our series.
D000553:Ambulatory Care; D000772:Anesthesia, Local / Q000379:methods*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D001940:Breast / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006177:Gynecomastia / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007367:Intercostal Nerves; D008297:Male; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000601:surgery; D013518:Surgery, Plastic; D013900:Thoracic Nerves
D000779:Anesthetics, Local