Endoscopic Primary Breast Augmentation With Loco-Regional Anesthesia: Preliminary Experience of 200 Consecutive Patients

Abstract

Abstract Background breast augmentation with implants recorded over 1.6 billion procedures globally in 2022. To reduce surgical trauma and complications and facilitate a fast recovery, we employ an ultrasound-guided local-regional anesthesia technique, the creation of a partial sub-muscular implant pocket by a direct endoscopic visualization and a minimal skin access on the mammary fold. Objectives The aim of the study is to evaluate whether the breast augmentation performed in endoscopy under local-regional anesthesia reduces post-operative recovery time, reduces complications and increases patient satisfaction. Methods Patients provided their consent through a signed form. We set strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. We prospectively evaluate postoperative pain and recovery times, rate of complications and patient satisfaction at 12 months post-surgery. Results Between January 2021 and September 2022, 200 patients met the inclusion criteria. The average operation time was 54.2 minutes. Patients were discharged from the hospital within 2 to 3 h. Eighty-nine % of patients expressed great satisfaction with the result. None of the patients experienced post-surgical complications. Conclusions our initial study showed that endoscopic breast augmentation conducted under localized anesthesia is safe. It allows for quick recovery post-surgery and swift resumption of everyday activities. The overall complication risk is less than what has been reported in scientific studies for the classic dual-plane technique. Moreover, this approach yields excellent patient satisfaction. Additional prospective and randomized studies will be required to enhance the scientific validity of this technique. Moreover, a larger patient cohort will be essential to stratify the risks associated with varying prosthetic volumes.