Objective: Reduction mammoplasty operations may be defined as the surgical reduction of breast size aimed at relieving the symptoms caused by breast hypertrophy. The most common early complication is severe postoperative pain. In this retrospective study, our aim was to compare the degree of postoperative pain, the amount of bleeding from the catheter and the duration of catheterization of patients who recieved bupivacaine, which is a long acting local anesthetic, containing tumescent solution infiltration,to patients who did not receive this local anesthetic in the tumescent solution.

Materials and Methods: The data of patients who had reduction mammoplasty at Harput State Hospital between November 2011 and January 2013 were retrospectively analysed and data of 38 patients who underwent reduction mammoplasty with vertical scarring and who received tumescent solution infiltration were evaluated. Patients were divided into groups according to the type of infiltration used on breast tissue. Patients were evaluated in terms of the amount of infiltration, age, amount of resection, and postoperative pain.

Results: Twenty one patients (55%) were given bupivacaine-containing tumescent solution (Group I) and 17 patients (45%) were given tumescent solution not containing bupivacaine (Group II). The amount of resection from both breasts was 1532 grams in Group I and 1604 grams in Group II. The amount of solution infiltrated into the breast was 115 mL in Group I and 124 mL in Group II. VAS values were found to be 3.4 at the sixth hour in GroupI and 6.58 in Group II. VAS values at the 12th hour were 3.71 and 6.23 in Group I and Group II, respectively.

Conclusion: Reduction mammoplasty is a painful procedure especially in the early period. Bupivacaine-containing tumescent solution reduces pain in the first postoperative 12 hours.