Now that I am 3 wks out from my Breast Reduction, I'm researching Tummy Tucks. Is a Tummy Tuck as painful as a Breast Reduction?

Question

As far as pain goes, is a tummy tuck as painful as breast reduction? I experienced a lot of pain after my 5+ hour reduction surgery. I want to know healing time also. I am 3 weeks out from my surgery and my healing is going great, but, the first few days was a little rough. I was pain med free after 10 days.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

Tummy tuck is generally regarded as more painful than breast reduction, but this can be a reflection of the maneuvers employed in each.  Pain can be well managed after tummy tuck, and tummy tuck is one of the most popular procedures in my practice.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

Richard Baxter, MD · Answer

Although a tummy tuck is usually more significant in terms of recovery issues such as pain control, the use of a long-acting numbing agent called Exparel has made a big difference for my patients. Because it lasts up to 3 days, it reduces the amount of pain medication needed, so patients feel better sooner.

George Marosan, MD · Answer

I'm surprised that your breast reduction was painful and it took 5 hours of surgery! There's no muscle work involved with a breast reduction and in most patients it is not a painful recovery. You do not state if it was a very large reduction involving liposuction as well, or state your height and weight. For a tummy tuck it is best to be close to your ideal BMI to get the best results. An abdominoplasty is a more invasive procedure with muscle tightening and different degrees of liposuction. Some surgeons are more aggressive and some are more conservative with liposuction. In my practice, I like to redefine the whole torso, not just make the abdomen flat. A tummy tuck is a more painful operation, but we use local medication in the muscle during surgery which will help for the first three days as well. See a board certified plastic surgeon for an in person consultation/evaluation. Good luck.

Curtis Wong, MD · Answer

traditionally is one of my most painful procedures when the muscles are worked on.  Recover from your breast reduction and ask your surgeon for more information.

Jeremy Pyle, MD · Answer

Tummy tuck is not an easy operation to go through in the short term. The first week is a good deal more painful than a breast reduction and the first two weeks are definitely harder to get through. Having said that, for most people who choose a tummy tuck, a few weeks of challenge are worth the lifetime of improvement.It's really a personal decision to undergo a tummy tuck and you have to be really honest with yourself about how you handle pain and illness.  I tell people to use past experiences as a guide and yours would concern me a bit.  Breast reduction is usually not a terrifically painful surgery to get over.  It also typically takes 2 hours or so and I would wonder what else was done to make the operation 5 hours in length. Did you also have other procedures done that could be the source of your pain?Best,Dr. Pyle

Lisa Lynn Sowder, MD (retired) - Account Suspended · Answer

Tummy tucks hurt more than a breast reduction.  In fact, when a patient has the two procedures done at the same time, they barely notice their breast pain.My patients have told me that the pain is similar to the pain after a C-section minus the screaming baby.   I often use an On-Q pain pump with tummy tucks.  This clever gizmo drips local anesthetic onto the operative area for 3 - 5 days and really takes the edge off.  I also prescribe a muscle relaxant after surgery.  A lot of the pain is from the abdominal muscles being really tight and irritable after surgery.  Although tummy tuck can be a challenging recovery, I have never had a patient say the discomfort was not worth the improvement that a tummy tuck can provide.

Mary Lee Peters, MD (retired) · Answer

Thank you for your question. I am happy to read that you are recovering well. In my office, a tummy tuck doesn't take anywhere near five hours, nor does a breast reduction. It does entail working on your abdominal muscles, which can feel like you've over used your muscles in a workout. To minimize your discomfort I use a combination of local anesthetic injections during surgery, a pain pump for prolonged delivery of the local anesthetis, and narcotic perscription for pain control. I am a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon located in Seattle and I'd enjoy a chance to meet with you for an evaluation. Feel free to contact my office.

Maan Kattash, MD, FRCS, FACS - Account Suspended · Answer

Tummy tuck usually entails muscle repair. It is more painful and warrants longer recovery than breast reduction surgery. Although pain threshold varies from patient to another, 7- 10 days recovery from reduction surgery is within normal. You may consider more recovery time following your tummy tuck surgery.

Brian Windle, MD (retired) · Answer

The recovery from a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is a little more involved than a breast reduction depending upon how much work is required to repair your muscles.  If you do not need much muscle work then it should be the same or maybe even less than the breast reduction.  There are rapid recovery techniques along with a no drain techique that should make your recovery as simple of not more simple than the breast reduction if minimal muscle work is required.I hope that helps.Best regards.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS (retired) · Answer

As a general rule, because of the muscle tightening element, a full tummy tuck is much more painful than a breast reduction. No rule is absolute but this is usually the case. In two weeks you feel pretty decent. After the recovery is all over at 2 months, you will hopefully love the completed transformation of your torso.

Now that I am 3 wks out from my Breast Reduction, I'm researching Tummy Tucks. Is a Tummy Tuck as painful as a Breast Reduction?

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