Pain pump vs no pain pump for Tummy Tuck? (Photo)

I think recovery from a tummy tuck is very patient specific. I have had mixed results with a pain pump. Some patients did great others needed much more narcotic than we typically give. In the end I elected to drop the pumps and instead offer a stronger pain med regimen which can be adjusted based on individual patient needs. That said a pain pump certainly won't hurt I just don't think it's worth the expense for use in all patients. Good luck!

The recovery after a tummy tuck is not that bad.  There are many ways to control pain.  Paying an extra $500 to have the space bathed in local anesthetic that doesn't really work unless it is injected, but putting you at a high risk of absorbing a toxic amount is not really a good plan.

I have used those in the past, but I have had better results lately with Exparell. This is a shot that is done at surgery and there is no additional tubing. It adds $315 and it greatly diminishes pain.Good Luck!

I am a strong believer in the multi-modality approach to pain management.  The less narcotic you take the better and faster your recovery.  The pain pump, however, is old technology.  In 2017, Exparel has pretty much replaced the Pain Pumps.

Pain pumps have sort of fallen out of favor now that Exparel injections can be used.  I have been very impressed with the significant reduction in post op pain seen with this drug and no extra surgery, incisions nor tubes are necessary.

I have been personally using pain pumps in all my tummy tuck patients for many years.  I think it is fair to say that the discomfort after surgery is reduced by approximately 70% and I would recommend it to everyone.  The recovery though not painless becomes much much easier in my experience.  Best wishes and good luck,Jon A Perlman M.D., FACSDiplomate, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)ABC-TV Extreme Makeover SurgeonBeverly Hills, California

I have had extremely favorable results using the pain pump with our tummy tuck patients. Because of the cost, roughly 1/3 of our patients do not elect to get one and I've been particularly intrigued by the difference in movement, walking, posture and remarkably, even the facial expression of comfort on the post op visit 1 or 2  days after surgery. I offer 1 refill which gives about 4 days of greatly improved pain control. I've found that the catheters must be positioned correctly to work best and that there is some variability, just as there is with an anesthetic block using Exparel, a costly but long acting local anesthetic which I have also used. In patients who cannot afford the longer duration of pain relief with these devices, I've found that even blocking with standard, affordable local anesthetic at no charge creates a much more comfortable early recovery experience. 

Hello and thank you for your question. I'm not a fan of pain pumps. To work they require added dissection under the fascia are a nuisance and really can't compare to Exparel injections. The plastic surgery journal has published 2 articles which show that the pain pump is not particularly good which I concur with from my experience. Peter Fisher M.D