How does non-opioid pain management for a tummy tuck with muscle repair works.

There are many pain medications that may be appropriate.  Each PS will prescribe the medication that he/she is most comfortable with and that seems best for each patient. I typically use whatever medication a patient has used in the past that has had success.  If the patient has never had surgery or never used pain medication, I use oral narcotic meds of varying strengths.  I think that many patients require prescription pain medications for the first week or so with the transition to the use of Tylenol for the next week.  
The pain can be managed effectively, and this aspect should not deter you from surgery.  Exparel can be injected at the time of closure for 72 hour pain relief.  Every surgeon wants his/her patients to have a satisfactory and safe experience. The PS needs to know what your concerns are so that he/she and the anesthesiologist can address your comfort and lessen your anxiety before surgery.  Select your PS based upon results generated, before and after photos, and patient reviews, not exclusively on the use of Exparel (which my patients think is too expensive) or a pain pump (patients do not want to carry it around for days).  

Hello and thank you for your question. In our practice, we use a long acting local anesthetic agent (Exparel), which is injected into the muscle planes and skin during your procedure. This will decrease the need for narcotic pain management considerably. Talk to your plastic surgeon about his/her pain management regimen. Best,
Pejman Aflaki, M.D.

Johns Hopkins-trained double board-certified plastic surgeon

Hello, thank you for your question, this is a very valid question. In general, most patients get by a tummy tuck without the need for using opioid pain management. The tummy tuck itself is not very painful, it's mostly discomforting because of the posture you would have during the first few days. The liposuction is the one the hurts the most, and in both cases the use of muscle relaxants and NSAIDs (aspirin type medication) will keep pain controlled. In cases where liposuction is also performed, I like to add pregabalin to better manage pain.