Is a Breast Lift with Tummy Tuck too much recovery pain to handle?

I would do both procedures at the same time which is typical of mommy makeover surgeries. Here is how to make the procedures less painful afterwards: Have your surgeon use Exparel. Exparel is a very long-acting local anesthetic that lasts approximately 3 or more days following injection and great for Tummy Tucks and other surgeries. Not only does it prevent pain but also most muscle spasms. It lasts the same length of time that a pain pump lasts and will therefore take the place of a pain pump. This means patients can enjoy the same effect of a pain pump, but without any catheters and no pain pump to carry around.Exparel will be available for those concerned about minimizing discomfort after surgeries such as tummy tuck and breast augmentation.Exparel costs the same as a pain pump and produces the same result but with less hassle and works great.

Thank you for your question. A tummy tuck and breast lift are great procedures to combine as they address some of big changes that happen after pregnancy or weight changes. It is often referred to as a mommy makeover. It is a bigger procedure and may often require a night in the hospital. I would consult with a board certified plastic surgeon in your area to discuss your options in more detail, review if there are any medical reasons to stage the procedure. If they deem you are healthy to have have the combined procedure, then you will only have one recovery.  In addition, it is the tummy tuck procedure that will be the drive the level of discomfort and typically the breast lift is much more secondary.

The combination of the breast lift with the tummy tuck is a very safe and common one.  Most of the pain will probably be in the abdomen, especially if significant muscle tightening is done.  A breast lift doesn't hurt that much in most cases.

It's very normal to be concerned about post-op pain.  The good news is that the breast lift is not a painful surgery. Most women who have both operations together tell me that the breast lift portion was easy, and most of the discomfort was related to the tummy tuck, especially if liposuction of the flanks was done at the same time.So, I hope you would have a similar positive experience too.All the best,PS:  Our new "TAP block" technique for tummy tucks significantly reduces post-op tummy soreness!

The combination of breast surgery (lift and/or implants) with a tummy tuck is often called a mommy makeover, and it is usually done in one operation. That way you have less overall recovery time (as compared to different surgeries on different days) and less expense. The use of Exparel, a long-acting numbing agent, has made a big difference because patients feel less pain and don't need as much pain medication.