Is Dilaudid good for pain management after a tummy tuck?

There are many acceptable options for pain management after a tummy tuck. Often, the specific "best" one has to do with the individual. Some people react adversely to one type and fine to another. It's similar to the over the counter pain meds some people take. While one patient may prefer Advil, others swear by tylenol,and still others prefer aleve. Have a discussion with your surgeon on your preference (based on your history, if you have any). Otherwise, let your surgeon guide you as to his/her "standard" choice for narcotics. Continue the conversation post-operatively if the chosen medication is not working well (may be either too strong/sedating or not strong enough). Since many patients react differently to specific medications, this should be an easy conversation to have with your surgeon as we see these concerns often. Good luck

I find that Dilaudid is inappropriate because it causes too much euphoria for the degree of pain relief it provides.  I believe that Vicodin is more appropriate.  I avoid all NSAID's (motrin, naprosyn, alleve, etc) for one month after surgery because of the effects on the platelets, and thus the increase in bleeding complications.

There is no single medication that is ideal in every patient. Dilaudid is strong and usually quite effective. I also recommend Exparel, a long-lasting numbing agent that is placed into the surgical area to reduce pain sensation. I have found that pain rating scores and use of narcotic medications such as Dilaudid are both reduced by about 50% with Exparel.

There are several good choices for postoperative pain management.  This decision should be managed by your treating physician.  Hope this helps.Dr. Ali Mosharrafa

There is no single best pain medication. It needs to be individualized. I discuss pain management with my patients and try to figure out what will work the best. The discomfort of a tummy tuck should be able to be well managed, so you can be up and walking the next day. I do prescribe a narcotic similar to dilaudid, but also place a pain pump, which infuses a local anesthetic for 5-6 days. I also recommend motrin(600-800 mg) and many I place on Neurotin startind a day or two before surgery. All this is to makes the recovery as easy as possible with the fewest possible side effects. The best way to protect from potential blodd clots is to feel well enough to be up and walking the day of surgery and every day after that.Eric Weiss MD

Dilaudid (or the generic, hydromorphone) is a strong and usually effective narcotic for use after surgery.  I like to ask patients at their consultation what their past experiences with pain and surgery have been, and if there have been particular narcotics which have or have not worked well for them.  Some report that Dilaudid was too strong/oversedating for them, others express a preference for it.  Other commonly used narcotic pain medications include hydrocodone (Vicodin) and oxycodone (Percocet).  If patients have had particular difficulty with narcotic pain medications (with nausea and vomiting particularly), I have had good results with some non narcotic pain relievers (Tylenol, gabapentin, and non or reduced bleeding non steroidal antiinflammatories such as Celebrex or Mobic).  Of course local anesthetic use is also important.  But all patients have some pain.  My goal is to make it tolerable while you heal.  Good luck!

There are numerous pain medications available for post op pain, and dilaudid is one.  My general preference is for oxycodone. Your own surgeon will be able to counsel you on the best choice for your particular recovery. All the best. 

Hello and thank you for your question. Yes it is an excellent analgesic for post op pain. I use Exparel during surgery which gives good relief for 2 to 3 days as well as post op narcotics similar to, or give Dilaudid. I also encourage my patients to take Ibuprofen (advil) 600-800mg 3xper day for the first 1 to2 weeks after tummy tuck. Good luck.Peter Fisher M.D.