How bad does a tummy tuck hurt? When is the pain the worst ?

Hello and thank you for your question. Most patient describe a tummy tuck as less painful than a c-section.  The worst pain is for the first 2-3 days.  There are many different medications which you take to help with the pain.  If you are an appropriate candidate, a tummy tuck can be done through a low and short incision, all completely below the
bikini line.  Your muscles can also be
plicated resulting in a flat abdomen.  Make sure you
specifically look at before and after pictures of real patients who have
had this surgery performed by your surgeon and evaluate their results.  The
most important aspect is to find a surgeon you are comfortable with. I
recommend that you seek consultation with a qualified board-certified plastic
surgeon who can evaluate you in person.
Best wishes and good luck.
Richard G. Reish, M.D.
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

Patients vary in how much pain they experience after a tummy tuck, with some having significant pain, and others not thinking it was as bad as they expected. Most of the pain from the operation comes from the tightening of the intra-abdominal muscles that is performed with the surgery (the fascial plication). That said, the surgery is most often performed on an outpatient basis, and there have been innovations in surgical technique to lessen post-op pain. One popular option is the use of Exparel, a long-acting local anesthetic that can be injected into the tissues of the abdominal wall at the time of surgery. Our experience has been that patients feel significantly less pain when using this medication, which has a numbing effect for the first few days after surgery, when pain is typically most severe. See a board certified plastic surgeon for more info about tummy tuck surgery and whether or not you are a good candidate. Good luck!