Marcaine vs. exparel? Is one better than the other?

Exparel is a great pain medication if it is available to you.  The only real downside compared to marcaine is the cost.  Marcaine generally lasts about 12 hours, but Exparel is a special formulation of marcaine that allows it to last up to 72 hours.  My recommendation would be to use it if your surgeon recommends it and feels it is appropriate in your case.

Thank you for your question! Marcaine and Exparel are very similar local anesthetics however Exparel lasts significantly longer. This means that Exparel can help provide pain relief for about 72 hours whereas marcaine only lasts the day of surgery. The only downside to Exparel is the added expense but I strongly recommend it to my patients for procedures such as a tummy tuck. Hope that helps answer your question!

Great question. I feel that exparel is superior over marcaine. They both work the same way, but exparel lasts significantly longer. My patients have had great results with it. I had one patient go out to a coffee shop the night of surgery! This is a decision you should make with your surgeon understanding the benefits and drawbacks of each. Exparel works better, but is more expensive. I wish you the best. Dr. Gabbay.