Liposuction and antibiotics/pain medicines?

Question

I've gotten my wisdom teeth taken out in the past and the antibiotics and hydrocodone made me beyond sick. I'm considering getting chin/neck liposuction, but I'm wondering if I will have to go through the same ordeal of getting sick from the pain meds & antibiotics prescribed afterwards?

Ellen A. Janetzke, MD · Answer

Chin/neck liposuction is a fairly tolerable surgery. Most patients do not need narcotics after surgery. One dose of antibiotics should be plenty to prevent any infection. Some of the trouble you had after oral surgery may have been due to swallowed blood from the procedure. This is well known to cause significant GI issues.

Nelson Castillo, MD · Answer

Thank you for your questions and I am sorry to hear about your side effects with antibiotics and hydrocodone.  In most instances liposuction is a procedure that does not require antibiotics in the first few days after the procedure.  As far as prescription pain medication, your doctor can prescribe you a different medication/dosage that may not give you the same effects. Unfortunately it is trial and error to discover which pain pill will keep you comfortable, with the least amount of side effects.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

Often with liposuction, one dose of antibiotics is enough.  AS for pain meds, you can take tylenol or take the pain meds with food in your stomach to minimize the risk of nausea.

Joseph Franklin, MD · Answer

Some plastic surgeons prescribe antibiotics following liposuction; others don't recommend antibiotics.  With regards to pain medicine, hydrocodone can make some patients itch or have significant nausea.  Fortunately, there are many other options available if pain medication is needed.  Additionally, medications like Zofran and Phenergan can be useful for management of nausea.

Kimberly Finder, MD · Answer

Patients who have liposuction with a gentle local anesthesia only technique do so well after liposuction that usually OTC acetaminophen is perfectly fine for pain control. The narcotic pain meds are usually the culprit for nausea/vomiting rather than the antibiotics, but those may also be an issue. Being on an antibiotic after liposuction probably makes the doctor feel better more than actually being important for your safe recovery. If you have an antibiotic issue that can be changed easily.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

Narcotics have a very high incidence of causing nausea and vomiting. This is also true of general anesthesia, much more so than the use of antibiotics.Neck liposuction is a fairly simple procedure in terms of recovery. Many patients can tolerate recovering from this procedure using only high-dose ibuprofen. The chance of developing an infection after chin and neck liposuction is exceedingly small. The only proven use of antibiotics in most elective surgery is a single dose taken before the procedure. When it comes to chin and neck liposuction, even this may be overkill. The use of antibiotics after cosmetic surgery is often beyond what is scientifically indicated. Most plastic surgeons use antibiotics for most cosmetic procedures and, as such, it is most likely considered the standard of care. Talk to your plastic surgeon if he or she feels comfortable avoiding the use of antibiotics.  In regard to the risk of nausea and vomiting, narcotics are most likely the major culprit. If your procedure is scheduled to be done under general anesthesia, then there is a high likelihood of developing postoperative nausea and vomiting considering your history.If this is the case, please tell your anesthesiologist about your history of severe nausea and vomiting after the medications you took following the dental procedure. Anesthesiologists can sometimes alter which medications they use to limit the chance of postoperative nausea and vomiting. Liposuction of the chin and neck is easily tolerated without the use of general anesthesia. Each plastic surgeon has their own preference on how to do the procedure.Best of luck,Mats Hagstrom, M.D.

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