Severe Pain After Liposuction and Tummy Tuck?

Thank you for your question regarding the severe pain and unusual sensations you’re experiencing after your tummy tuck and liposuction.

Eight days post-surgery is still within the early stages of recovery, and it's not uncommon to experience a variety of sensations as your body heals. The pain you’ve described—feeling like needles poking your stomach or electrical shocks—can be alarming, but it’s important to understand what might be causing these sensations.

What you’re likely experiencing is related to the healing of the nerves in the treated areas. During a tummy tuck and liposuction, the skin, fat, and underlying tissues are manipulated, which can temporarily disrupt the nerves in those areas. As the nerves begin to heal and regenerate, it’s common to feel tingling, burning, or shock-like sensations. This is often referred to as “nerve pain” and is a sign that the nerves are starting to reconnect and regain function.

The sensation of "firecrackers" in your stomach could also be related to this nerve regeneration. Additionally, some of the discomfort may be due to the muscle repair that was likely done during your tummy tuck. The muscles might be reacting to the surgery, and as they heal and adjust, you could feel tightness, pulling, or unusual sensations.

Although these feelings are typically a normal part of the healing process, it’s essential to monitor your symptoms. If the pain becomes unmanageable, worsens, or is accompanied by signs of infection such as redness, swelling, fever, or discharge from the incision, you should contact your surgeon immediately. They can evaluate whether your recovery is progressing as expected or if any intervention is needed.

In the meantime, ensure you are following your surgeon’s post-operative instructions, including taking prescribed pain medications, staying hydrated, and avoiding activities that might strain your abdominal area. Rest and proper care are crucial during this time to support your healing process.

Sincerely,

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FASMBS, FICS

People experience post-operative healing differently. What feels like tingles to someone may feel like a electricity to someone else. So, without seeing you, it is impossible to tell if everything is okay. In all likelihood, you are just going through the normal healing process. However, if you are concerned, then you should contact your surgeon's office. Good luck with your recovery.

Pain experienced postoperatively tends to subside after a few days. It may last longer if the surgery was more complicated or combined with other procedures. However, most patients will feel soreness that is worse in a certain position, but improved when they rest and when they take the normally prescribed medication. Every patient has a different threshold for pain and they experience pain differently. Some patients need more pain medication than others.
However, you really really need to see your surgeon. If your exam is normal, then your surgeon can treat your pain and make you more comfortable. If your exam is abnormal and you are experiencing a complication, then your surgeon needs to determine what is causing the problem and how to fix it. This is something that has to be done by an examination, not a phone call. Hopefully this is still within the normal range of healing, but whenever a patient says "severe pain," it is not normal. Good luck!