Has anyone had Gynecomastia surgery under Twilight Anasthesia?

[Jake7676]

First of all happy new year to everyone.

I found out that Twilight Anasthesia (Twilight Sleep) in other words was actually used in Gynecomastia surgeries.

If you have had any Gynecomastia surgeries under Twilight Anasthesia could you tell me how it was? how it went? is it similar to going under general anathesia? what kind of feelings do you get etc etc.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Twilight sleep anesthesia (technically called "conscious sedation") is my preferred method for gyne surgery -- in fact, I use it 99% of the time.

It involves a separate anesthesiologist who administers a "cocktail" of short-acting medications which will cause you to drift off to sleep.  Once you are asleep, the surgeon administers local anesthetic injections -- which you do not feel because you are asleep.  The combination of the local anesthetic injections and the sleep meds (administered by the anesthesiologist) make for an easy and pleasant experience -- with no memory of the surgery whatsoever.  You will have no awareness of the passage of time, your eyes are closed, and obviously there will be no pain.  The major advantage is that you will awaken very quickly after surgery with virtually no nausea, vomiting or hangover. 

It is very similar to general anesthesia in many respects -- but the quick recovery is what makes it advantageous for gyne surgery.  And, in the hands of an expert anesthesiologist, it is extremely safe.

I have no problem with general anesthesia as well.  In fact, I use it when I take a few select patients to the hospital.  But the twilight sleep anesthesia allows me to perform routine gyne surgery in my office operating room suite on an out-patient basis.

The only problem with general anesthesia, as I see it, is that it sometimes takes a while (up to 24 hours in some cases) to fully recover from the anesthesia itself.

Either way, general or twilight, the anesthesia will make the entire experience a comfortable one for you.

Good luck!

Dr Jacobs