Is tummy tuck pain worse than a gallbladder attack?

Question

I'm about to schedule my TT procedure. I'm a little worried about the pain. Everyone makes it out to be like torture. I've gone through gallbladder attacks, gallbladder surgery, a hysterectomy (which was a piece of cake), and 2 popped ovarian cysts (now those hurt!) I'm trying to figure out just how painful this is going to be. Is it worse than a gallbladder attack. I dealt with those for 4 months before going to the ER. That was pretty awful! Thanks

Finny George, MD · Answer

Hi, thank you for your question. 
The pain from a tummy tuck and that of a gallbladder attack are likely different from each other as they act on different nerves. The tummy tuck pain will likely feel like having had a C-section and perhaps some element of muscle soreness if you require a rectus plication. This pain is certainly not as intense as internal organ pain such as an ovarian cyst. 
I hope this helps. Best of luck!

Jonathan Saunders, MD · Answer

i warn people that they are going to hate me for about 48 hrs.  everybody has different pain tolerance levels

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

The recovery period after an abdominoplasty is usually well tolerated by patients. In most patients, the discomfort after the tummy tuck is controlled by oral pain medicine. The day after surgery, patients should be able to perform daily living activities.The tightening of the muscles may play a role in the muscle spasms/pain. There are multiple postoperative pain control options that exist and your surgeon should be able to keep your pain controlled.    I only tighten the abdominal wall to return it to an anatomic norm rather than tighten it as much as possible. This produces a functional result without producing prolonged discomfort.  The abdominal wall may need several months to get accustomed to the changes.

Francis Johns, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question.Do you require a muscle repair? The pain from the muscle repair will be uncomfortable, but if you had a hysterectomy and recovered fine then you should be fine. You will have swelling from the skin removal and liposuction, but patient describe that as more annoying than painful.

Robert M. Wald, Jr., MD · Answer

I have this question asked a lot by my patients. I have done several hundred of these procedures and have found the pain to be moderate. In asking woman who have had a previous hysterectomy, they unanimously say a tummy tuck is much less painful. In this procedure, the muscles are tightened but not cut. I think you will find this pain much better than your gallbladder pain.

Nelson Castillo, MD · Answer

Thank you for sharing your question.  Each patient heals differently but based on the number of abdominal operations you have had performed I would expect you to do well.  There are options at improving your recovery such as the use of pain pumps or Exparel to limit the amount of prescription pain medication required, so discuss this with your surgeon.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear Lafemmeleila,
Every patient reacts differently on surgery. I use long-lasting local anesthetic to make sure my patients don't have pain in early postoperative period. Recovery time is approximately 2 weeks. Vigorous activities should be limited for at least six weeks. During your postoperative care, your plastic surgeon should provide specific instructions for your individual recovery. Following these instructions can help reduce post-surgery complications as well as speed up recovery time.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

E. Ronald Finger, MD · Answer

The short answer is no. If done with the No-drain TT technique, the pain is not severe at all, according to my patients. In additions to the No-drain technique, you should request Exparel to be injected around the abdomen during the procedure, This keeps the abdomen anesthetized for 48 hours.In addition to less pain, with the no-drain TT there is less recovery time, no drains for 5-10 days, and less complications.Good luck and thanks for your question.

Kevin Tehrani, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your questions! The type of abdominoplasty pain is very different than a gallbladder attack and probably less painful. The pain from a tummy tuck is more muscle soreness and incisional pain. During surgery, I inject my patients with Exparel which blocks the pain for up to 72 hours after the procedure. Pain is very subjective, but patients usually compare it to a c-section if you ever had one of those. I recommend seeing a board certified plastic surgeon in person to discuss your concerns and see if an abdominoplasty is right for you.

David Janssen, MD, FACS · Answer

I have been doing abdominoplasty including with muscle closure as necessary using 2 techniques to avoid postoperative pain. The first is called the enhanced recovery after surgery protocol also known as ERAS. By using maximum dose Tylenol and an anti-inflammatory called Celebrex that doesn't cause bleeding, the neural down regulator known as Neurontin, pain is remarkably well managed. The second technique I use is called a Tapp block.  It is a local anesthetic block I place with ultrasound guidance that I performed at the 5 levels of the innervation to the abdominal wall on both sides. Most of my patients now are not using any narcotic with abdominoplasty including with muscle tightening. If you don't need muscle tightening, it is even easier

Is tummy tuck pain worse than a gallbladder attack?

Answers (15)

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