A new infiltration needle for rapid local anesthesia in retromammary breast augmentation.

Abstract

In the past, local field block anesthesia for retromammary breast augmentation has usually been performed with spinal needles. In this article, I present an alternative, a cannula-like needle that delivers large amounts of very dilute local anesthetic in an extremely quick fashion for retromammary breast augmentation. Besides being a time-saver, this needle also offers the patient better anesthesia and improved safety. Another advantage is that the retromammary pocket is partially hydrodissected by the large amount of dilute anesthesia delivered, thereby further decreasing intraoperative time. A description of the instrument, its usage, and its pros and cons are given.