Afraid of general anesthesia for your breast augmentation?
With Preservé™ breast correction and our comfort sedation, you breathe naturally, sleep deeply, feel nothing during the procedure, and wake up alert, offering a safe, relaxed alternative to traditional general anesthesia or local anesthesia.
Thanks to this minimally invasive anesthesia, shorter surgery time, and the “no-touch” technique, a Preservé™ breast correction is not only safer and less painful, but also more comfortable than a conventional breast augmentation.
I want a breast augmentation… but I’m afraid of the surgery and especially the anesthesia
You’ve been thinking about a breast correction for a long time, but you still hesitate because you’re afraid of the surgery and anesthesia. You are definitely not alone.
Many women worry:
- “What if I don’t wake up?”
- “Am I taking a huge risk just for a cosmetic procedure?”
- “What if they can’t put me to sleep?”
- “What if I wake up during the operation?”
- “Will I be fully intubated during the surgery?”
👉 Many women have never been under anesthesia before, even though every day millions of people worldwide undergo anesthesia.
In this blog, we explore these fears and explain how the Preservé™ technique is a true game-changer.
Content:
- Fear and tension on surgery day? Completely understandable
- Would you like a breast augmentation without traditional general anesthesia? Discover Preservé™ breast augmentation
- Should I choose for local anesthesia or comfort sedation for my Preservé™ breast augmentation?
- What is our comfort sedation with Preservé™ breast augmentation?
- How will your Preservé™ breast augmentation proceed at the Global Care Clinic?
- Patient feedback
- Is Preservé™ safer than traditional breast augmentation?
1. Fear and tension on surgery day? Completely understandable
Most women are not afraid of the surgery itself, but are mainly concerned about:
- the anesthesia
- the needles and injections
- the feeling of losing control
- nausea or grogginess afterwards
These worries usually come from experiences or stories about traditional deep general anesthesia, where:
- you are intubated and no longer breathe independently
- a machine completely takes over your breathing
- the risk of thrombosis is higher
Our comfort sedation, however, is a completely different technique, specially developed for our outpatient procedures.
2. Would you like a breast augmentation without traditional general anesthesia? Discover Preservé™ breast augmentation
Because Preservé™ breast augmentation is the first breast augmentation technique that can technically even be performed under local anesthesia, it is considered one of the most groundbreaking developments in breast surgery of the past decades.
At the same time, we know from experience that patients are often extremely nervous on the day of surgery and anxious about everything that awaits them:
- every injection
- the constant fear of suddenly feeling pain
- the worry that the anesthesia might not work sufficiently for you
- the fear of being consciously aware during the procedure and unable to respond
For many women, simple local anesthesia is not enough to fully release this tension and enter surgery feeling truly relaxed.
That is why we offer the Preservé™ breast augmentation as standard (at no extra cost) with an upgrade to comfort sedation.
3. Should I choose for local anesthesia or comfort sedation for my Preservé™ breast augmentation?
For your Preservé™ breast augmentation, you can choose between local anesthesia or comfort sedation:
- At the same price
- Both performed in our fully equipped operating suite (not in a regular treatment room)
- Both under the supervision of our anesthesiologist
- For both options, an intravenous line (IV) is placed beforehand. Why? Even with local anesthesia, this is required for safety reasons, so that specific medication can be administered quickly if needed during the procedure. With comfort sedation, the sedative is delivered through this IV.
Are you easily anxious about needles or already nervous about the procedure?
- In that case, more than 90% of our patients choose comfort sedation: you are fully relaxed, feel nothing during the procedure, experience no stress or fear, and are alert again quickly afterward.
- Good to know: our comfort sedation does not involve intubation, as with deep general anesthesia. You continue to breathe on your own.
4. What is our comfort sedation with Preservé™ breast augmentation?
For our Preservé™ breast augmentations (and other procedures), we use a light, comfort-focused anesthesia.
Our minimally invasive anesthesia means:
- An IV line will be inserted through which the sedation will be administered.
- You will continue to breathe independently (so you will not be intubated as with a traditional deep general anaesthetic).
- You are in a pleasant, deep, relaxed sleep and no longer aware of what is happening
- You feel nothing during the procedure – no discomfort, no pain
- You are not anxious, but completely relaxed
- You regain clarity and alertness quickly after the procedure – not groggy or drowsy afterwards
Our signature comfort sedation is fully supervised by our anesthesiologist.
👉 At Global Care Clinic:
- A dedicated, experienced anesthesiologist is continuously present
- Years of expertise in light anesthesia – specialized in “comfort anesthesia”
- The comfort anesthesia upgrade is included as standard in the price
👉 At other clinics:
- Often only local anesthesia, sometimes combined with light sedation (sometimes even at an additional cost)
- Usually to reduce costs, because no dedicated anesthesiologist is present, or due to limited experience with this type of light anesthesia
Extra service: comfort sedation
We consider it an additional service to extend the comfort of the Preservé breast augmentation throughout the entire day of surgery, with our signature comfort sedation.
5. How will your Preservé™ breast augmentation proceed at Global Care Clinic?
- Our dedicated operating nurses guide you from the very first moment and reassure you completely by explaining step by step what will happen.
- Before the procedure, an IV (intravenous line) is always placed. Why? Even with local anesthesia, this is required for safety reasons, so that specific medications can be administered quickly if needed during the procedure.
- After that, you walk to the operating room yourself, accompanied by our team, and are helped comfortably onto the operating table. If you have chosen comfort sedation, it is administered by our anesthesiologist, who has thoroughly reviewed your medical records beforehand, through the IV. You take a few calm, deep breaths…
- … and before you realize it, you wake up again and the surgery is already finished.
- After the procedure, we bring you to our recovery room, where you can continue waking up peacefully until the moment you are safe to go home.
Tip: Be sure not to withhold any information about your medication use or possible alcohol or drug use.
6. Patient feedback
Feedback we often hear after the surgery:
- “I’ve never slept so wonderfully”
- “For the first time, I truly didn’t have to think about anything”
7. Is Preservé™ safer than traditional breast augmentation?
Advantages of Preservé™ breast augmentation compared to traditional breast augmentation:
- Lighter anesthesia
- Shorter operating time
- Less damage to muscles and tissue (less trauma)
- “No-touch” technique
Result:
- Fewer complications, lower risk of capsular contracture and infection
- Less pain
- Safer than traditional breast augmentation
Preservé™ is not a trend but the future of breast augmentation
Choose the Preservé™ technique if you have:
- Fear of pain: With Preservé™ breast augmentation, no muscles, nerves, or blood vessels are cut, making the procedure minimally invasive.
- Fear of scars: Preservé™ breast augmentation leaves the smallest possible scar in the breast fold (± 2.5 cm).
- Fear of loss of sensation: With Preservé™ breast augmentation, you retain sensation in your nipples and breasts (and the ability to breastfeed).
- Fear of unnatural result: Preservé™ breast augmentation gives a natural-looking and feeling breast enhancement.
- Fear of surgery or anesthesia: Preservé™ breast augmentation is performed under “comfort anesthesia”: no fear, no pain, and a quick return to wakefulness and alertness.
- Doubts about recovery and practical arrangements: The recovery period after Preservé™ breast augmentation is much shorter than with traditional breast augmentation.
Dr Nelissen, certified Preservé™ surgeon, explains
Question: Which (unnecessary) fears are still common when considering breast augmentation?
Dr Nelissen was the first plastic surgeon in Belgium to apply this innovative technique in 2025 and now has nearly one year of experience with Preservé™.
Book your no-obligation consultation today with plastic surgeon Dr. Nelissen and discover your options.
*The Preservé breast augmentation is exclusively available through certified Preservé™ plastic surgeons. Official Preservé™ by Motiva® website.
🔗 Continue reading our series on Preservé breast augmentation:
Doubts about breast augmentation? Discover Preservé™.
Preservé™ breast augmentation: minimal scarring, pain and loss of sensation
Do you have any questions?
Would you like to discuss whether this treatment could be right for you?
Then make your non-binding appointment for a consultation at our clinic.
