I am scheduled for a BBL but I am so scared of waking up in excruciating pain. Will it be less painful than a tummy tuck?

Dear gabriella888,
Generally speaking, pain after BBL is lower than pain after tummy tuck. I use long-lasting local anesthetic during liposuction phase, so my patients have less pain in early post.operative period. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Hello and thank you for your question. Pain perception is individualized and everyone reacts differently to painful stimuli. Generally speaking, I have found from my patients that the pain from liposuction and BBL is significantly less and more manageable that the pain from tummy tuck. In our practice, we offer Exparel, which is a long-acting local anesthetic to our liposuction and tummy tuck patients and we have seen tremendous difference in their pain level and easier recovery. You should speak with your surgeon about their pain management strategies. Best,
Pejman
Aflaki, M.D.
Johns
Hopkins-trained double board-certified plastic surgeon