I'm being quoted $1,500 dollars for Exparel. Does that seem reasonable? Is there a cheaper generic available?

The cost of Exparel from the company directly is about $310 per vial, which is the amount used for a tummy tuck. Not sure why you were quoted $1500.Best wishes,Dr.Bruno

I agree… It seems excessive I do use expert out on a routine basis and I found it far more effective than the OnQ pain pumps I was using and less hassle. One vial of 20 mL is about $350 and then I  mix it with 80 mL of saline. That gives me a total of 100 mL and I inject 50 mL into the muscle on each side of the midline.  My patients are extremely comfortable for about four days plus or minus.  And in reality the cost is about the same as the pain pump was and it works much better.  maybe your doctor is not diluting it ???

Depending on the manufacturer's negotiated contract with each facility/provider, the cost per vial ranges from about $350-$550. Personally, I charge $500 which is essentially at cost for me. For this amount I strongly encourage my patients to include this in their surgical package, as the pain improvement (especially after tummy tuck) is dramatic. $1500 definitely seems excessive, unless multiple vials will be used. However, if more than the 20cc in each vial is needed the surgeon can just dilute it with saline to get more volume and have minimal impact of efficacy or longevity. Exparel is relatively new to the market (several years now) so is still under patent protection. Unfortunately, there won't be any cheaper generics for many years

Exparel is indeed pricey esiecially if you need a lot of it.  Personally I've never used it or found the need in tummy tucks.  I do inject marcsine which is like exparel but only lasts 12 hours,  but it's basically free so you might ask about that.

Hello,Dishonesty is a pet peeve of mine.  If that's the way this surgeon wants to start a relationship with you, you should think twice about proceeding. He's marking up a product that has debatable improvement in pain reduction over cheaper anesthetics by about 500%. Best of luck!

Thank you for your question. The price they quoted you for the Exparel is over 3x its cost. As a plastic surgeon in private practice, I have been using Exparel almost for 5 years now. The manufacturer charges us about $400/vial of 20cc, which I dilute up to 40-60cc and inject it during my abdominoplasties. There's no generic Exparel. If your surgery is done in a large ambulatory center or hospital, maybe they have a markup.

Hello and thank you for your question. Exparel is a great asset for pain reduction after surgery.  There is no generic.  In my practice we pass long the cost directly to the patient with no upcharge (approx. $300 for 20ml vial, which can be diluted to 120ml per manufacturer's recommendations).   
Best wishes and good luck.
Richard G. Reish, M.D.
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

At the present time there are no generic alternatives to Exparel, which is a sustained release form of a local anesthetic. The cost you were quoted is much higher than the cost of the drug itself but there may be a fee for placement, for example if the anesthetist is doing a TAP block. I usually do this during the operation but if it is done before then there could be additional time and professional fees.

Hello and thank you for your question.I use Exparel for many of the procedures I offer.  Most of my patients elect to use Exparel for tummy tucks, body lifts, and breast reduction. The medication is injected at the time of surgery and lasts for 3 days.  It has been particularly helpful for our tummy tuck patients in that it allows them to get up and around more quickly.  Most surgical facilities will charge $350-400 for the 20 ml vial.  There is now a 10 ml vial available which should be half the cost and is perfect for case such as breast augmentation. Possible side effects with patients who received  Exparel and with other pain relievers can experience nausea, vomiting, and/or constipation. If it is not available, I have used the pain pump with good results.Best Wishes, Andrew Lyos MD FACS

from marking the Exparel up by that much... as most others have appreciated here.  Costs run less than $400 to purchase the vial which is then diluted and injected throughout the abdominal wall for pain management.  I use a pain pump since its less costly and the facility covers it for my patients.  The pain pump is removed in 2 days and by then my patients are doing well with oral medications.  I'm sorry but the mark up is excessive and suggests other fees may be marked up as well.  Having these question and answer sites will force more surgeons to be more honest with how they present their fees.