I am scheduled for TT and BBL surgery. I am considering asking for an Exparel injection to help decrease pain during recovery. What are the side effects/risk to getting this injection other than having an allergy to medication?
September 4, 2017
Answer: Exparel injection : risks and side effects. Thank you for sharing your excellent question. Exparel is a long-lasting numbing medication thought to diminish the amount of narcotic pain medication needed during the first three days of recovery. Outside of allergies, additional risks include the cost of the medication, bleeding/hematoma risks from injecting it into your stomach, and overdosing of the medication if mixed with another numbing agent. Many patients see dramatic improvement in their pain with its use so be sure to have a thorough discussion with your surgeon.
Helpful 1 person found this helpful
September 4, 2017
Answer: Exparel injection : risks and side effects. Thank you for sharing your excellent question. Exparel is a long-lasting numbing medication thought to diminish the amount of narcotic pain medication needed during the first three days of recovery. Outside of allergies, additional risks include the cost of the medication, bleeding/hematoma risks from injecting it into your stomach, and overdosing of the medication if mixed with another numbing agent. Many patients see dramatic improvement in their pain with its use so be sure to have a thorough discussion with your surgeon.
Helpful 1 person found this helpful
September 5, 2017
Answer: Exparel and Tummy Tuck Hi. As you probably know, Exparel is a slow release formulation of Marcaine, which is a longer acting local anesthetic. I find Exparel to be a helpful adjunct for pain control. It can help reduce the amount of narcotic pain medication a patient may need, and likewise make the overall pain control a little better for those first 2-3 days while it is having its effect. Exparel is expensive, so I don't routinely use it on all cases, but if a patient requested it, and felt that the extra cost was worth it for her or him, then I would typically be fine with using it for that surgery. I do routinely use it for tummy tucks (or abdominoplasty), though, both for the muscle tightening and the incision. I find it to be helpful for those cases. I also like that it is not another device that a patient has to deal with, such as a pain pump; it is absorbed into the tissues where it was injected. Hope that helps. Good luck and take care,Dr. Howell
Helpful 1 person found this helpful
September 5, 2017
Answer: Exparel and Tummy Tuck Hi. As you probably know, Exparel is a slow release formulation of Marcaine, which is a longer acting local anesthetic. I find Exparel to be a helpful adjunct for pain control. It can help reduce the amount of narcotic pain medication a patient may need, and likewise make the overall pain control a little better for those first 2-3 days while it is having its effect. Exparel is expensive, so I don't routinely use it on all cases, but if a patient requested it, and felt that the extra cost was worth it for her or him, then I would typically be fine with using it for that surgery. I do routinely use it for tummy tucks (or abdominoplasty), though, both for the muscle tightening and the incision. I find it to be helpful for those cases. I also like that it is not another device that a patient has to deal with, such as a pain pump; it is absorbed into the tissues where it was injected. Hope that helps. Good luck and take care,Dr. Howell
Helpful 1 person found this helpful
