Cannabis use and tummy tuck, lipo, muscle repair etc. recovery question.

Question

Do any other surgeons here prescribe or mention using cannabis cbds and thc for recovery in patients with ultra sensitive pain and or anxiety? Being a legal State I can't say enough about it. I'm eternally grateful to my husband and Doc and believe I wouldn't be doing as well without the medical cannabis. In fact I know so. I can now sleep eat just fine, use the restroom just fine, have no anxiety and easily got off narcotics. I wonder is any surgeons here prescribe it too?

Austin Hayes, MD · Answer

It's a great point. Some of my patients find using CBD/THC edible oils to be helpful after tummy tuck procedures. As you know oral CBD/THC can help with pain from surgery, and also nausea that can be caused by narcotic pain medication. I also have found that CBD/THC is not strong enough to eliminate pain medication completely, but can definitely help some people lower their overall dose.

Nicholas A. Flugstad, MD · Answer

Yes, I have found some success with these as an addition to the standard drugs I prescribe. My patients are restricted from smoking anything, but edible and oil forms are readily available in Washington State. The pain relief component is not usually strong enough to replace standard narcotics, but it may help decrease the need for them. Some can have unwanted side effects so this is not for everyone, and is usually only consumed by patients who have experience with these drugs before surgery. For those looking for alternatives during their recovery, I think there is great potential there.

Cannabis use and tummy tuck, lipo, muscle repair etc. recovery question.

Answers (2)