Abdominal hysterectomy vs tummy Tuck?

A hysterectomy goes deeper and therefore, most patients experience more pain. A TT will definitely feel tight due to the muscle repair but depending on the technique your surgeon uses, you may need minimal pain meds. At my practice, we only give our patients Ibuprofen but again, this is technique dependent. Best to ask your operating surgeon what his or her experience has been with patient pain after a TT. Good luck!

The pain associated with a tummy tuck can be diminished with use of long-acting analgesics such as Exparel. With the use of this injectable adjacent your recovery can be much less painful than recovery after a hysterectomy. DrBurnett#realself100

Thanks for your question. It is difficult to give an exact answer as every patient is different and every operation is different. However, in general, a tummy tuck is typically less painful as the abdominal cavity itself is not entered. An overnight stay in the hospital (or private facility) is generally not needed for most patients. Tummy tuck is usually sore for the first two or three days and then improves rapidly. However minor discomfort persists longer.Hope this helps!Dr. Nicolas Hynes, MSc, MD, FRCS(C)Lotus Cosmetic Surgery Centre + Medispa

Thank you for the question. As you can imagine, every patient will have a different experience when it comes to discomfort (and overall healing process) after tummy tuck surgery. Generally, most patients will report that the recovery process is similar to recovering after C-section. Anecdotally, when I have asked patients to compare, all have reported that the tummy tuck recovery is less painful than C-section recovery.Having said that, the tummy took operation is an extensive operation with a significant recovery (both from the physical and emotional) period,  often underestimated by patients and their plastic surgeons. A few words of advice I provide to my patients undergoing tummy tuck surgery may be helpful to you:1. Make sure you are doing the procedure for the right reasons (for yourself) and that you have realistic expectations. Be aware that an improvement in the “problem area” may not translate to an overall improvement in your life situation. You are bound to be disappointed with results of the procedure if your motivation for doing the surgery is not internally driven.
2. Time your surgery carefully; generally, it is not a good idea to have surgery done during or immediately after a stressful period in life (for example divorce or death of a loved one). The additional stress of surgery will undoubtedly be more challenging to deal with if a patient's emotional reserves our already exhausted. Remember, that an improvement in your physical appearance will not translate to an improvement in your life situation.
3. If possible speak to patients who have undergone similar procedures and query them about the toughest times of their recovery period. Any practical hints previous patients can provide may be very helpful.
4. Make sure you are aware of potential complications that may arise how to reach your surgeon if necessary.
5. Make sure you have a strong and patient support system (several people if possible) in place who have time/patience to take care of you. Arrange for professional nursing if any doubt exists regarding the availability and/or stamina of your caretakers.
6. Be patient with the healing process, understanding that it will take several weeks to months to feel “normal” again. It may also take many months/year to see the end results of your surgery.
7. Be prepared to distract your mind with things of interest such as books, magazines, and movies.
8. Expect less of yourself; do not go back to work, school or chores too early and let others take care of you (for a change).
9. Pick your surgeon carefully (a well experienced board-certified plastic surgeon) and trust in his/her advice. Keep in close communication with your surgeon and do not hesitate to communicate questions/concerns and the emotional swings that you may experience.
10. Resume all medications that you were using preoperatively when cleared by your plastic surgeon and stop the use of narcotics and sedatives as soon as feasible after surgery.
11. Keep in mind the end results as you go through the tougher emotional times after your surgery.
I hope this, and the attached link, helps. Best wishes. I hope this, and the attached link/video, helps.

The recovery from a tummy tuck is about 2 weeks. This means that you will feel as close to normal compared to before surgery around this time. My own patients have told me that it was similar to their C section or their hysterectomy. Some of may patient have told me that it was much easier. Everyone's recovery and perception of pain is slightly different. Your surgeon will prescribe you pain medications to help with the discomfort. You will likely go home the same day, as all my patients do. I highly recommend having some help at home for at least 1-2 weeks. Best wishes,Dr. Ravi Somayazula  

Hysterectomy is a deep, internal surgery that is a hospital procedure and recovery.Tummy tuck feels like performing 1000 sit ups.Exparel is a three day local anesthetic that can be injected at the time of your surgery to make your recovery easier.Best wishes,Dr. Denkler

You might feel a little more pain with the TT than with your hysterectomy. The reason is because the TT takes a larger incision, repair of the muscles of the abdominal wall and a suction drain for a few days after surgery. But do not be scared with all this the majority of patients recover faster than they thought and only the first week will be the hardest.

Each patient responds different to these procedures.  The tummy tuck recovery is usually a bit more difficult than the hysterectomy.  You may have drain tubes for a few weeks after the tummy tuck.  Most tummy tuck patients are sore for the first 4-7 days or so.  

Each case is different and so are these procedures, so it's hard to compare.  But a hysterectomy goes deeper (obviously) than a tummy tuck, so there is often significant pain from the transection of the muscles and the entry into the abdominal cavity.A tummy tuck, though, can be painful depending, typically, on how tight the abdomen is, and on the extent of liposuction being done at the same time (in general, lipo is more painful than a TT).  But the specifics of this should be addressed with you in person by your board-certified plastic surgeon so that you will know exactly what is planned, and what you can reasonably expect.I hope that this helps and good luck,Dr. Alan EnglerMember of #RealSelf500