Considering a tummy tuck, lipo to the tummy, flanks, bra rolls and chin: how much pain should I realistically expect?

With the use of Exparel, these large area operations are tolerated very well, usually with very little pain in the recovery room. As you may know, Exparel uses bupivacaine, a local anesthetic which lasts six hours, and places it in liposomes, which after injection under the muscle fascia and the liposuctioned areas releases the bupivacaine over three days. This really helps cut down on the pain and the need for narcotic pain medication. But as always, everyone is different. I have had patients who took no pain pills in the first 24 hours, then ended up taking 3-4 over the next four days, and I have had patients who needed their narcotic pain pills regularly during the first 3-4 days. I have not been able to predict who will fall in which category. Let's just say that with the assistance of Exparel and some pain medication, everyone gets through it and back to normal in a reasonable period of time.

Hello @littlebug98, thank you for your question. There are different factors that are at play when we talk about pain: One is the surgical technique of the doctor, technology used to avoid traumatism and pain and the level of pain that the patient tolerates. Pain is a very personal thing. However, there are pain relievers to help the patient if he or she have a lot of discomfort due to pain for those procedures. It is important that you have a consultation with a board certified specialist to determine a surgical plan according to your needs. Best wishes! Alan Gonzalez MD, FACS.

With all of our tummy tucks we do a procedure called a TAP block, in which we use ultrasound guidance to place a long-lasting local anesthetic called Exparel. It reduces pain scores by at least 50% and jump-starts recovery.

Hello,
And thank you for the question.
The pain level after combination of those procedure is typically moderate, but pain tolerance is very subjective to each patient. Prescription pain medications and muscle relaxers can certainly help.
Good luck with your upcoming surgery.
Dr. Irena KaranetzBreast Fellowship-TrainedBoard Certified Plastic Surgeon

Major discomfort to be expected is related to TT and liposuction of bra roles. With good postoperative, multimodality pain management, this should be easily tolerated. One you should discuss this topic in details, is your surgeon. Good luck.

Dear littlebug98,
tummy tuck is a major surgery that involves a long incision and this can cause some pain. However, with a good preoperative preparation, surgical technique and postoperative protocol, this pain level can be well controlled. If you are considering surgery, I would suggest you consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination, you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

the worse pain will be the tummy tuck and you will be provided medication for this. The liposuction areas will be in compression garments which greatly helps to decrease the pain. You still will have some.

hi dear, thank you for your question, the realistic desconfort you might feel, can be determined on your personal tolerance to pain, also take into consideration that if you are a pain killer intaker your tolerance might be lower.

Thank you for your question. As you stated pain is subjective. We have had patients fly through the recovery with very little discomfort and others who did struggle. I like to inject numbing blocks into the areas I'm operating which helps with recovery quite a bit. Another option you may have is a pain pump. Ask your surgeon if that is a possibility. Because of the blocks, I don't find the need for a pain pump, however, every surgeon has their own protocol. Your surgeon will give you pain medication to take post operatively, however, we do want our patients to taper off of them as soon as possible due to addiction. They also cause constipation. Patients tell me the drains are the worst part and when they come out they feel much better. Give yourself 3-4 weeks and you'll be feeling more like yourself. It's a process. If you can get through the recovery you won't regret your decision.
Please be sure to visit a Board Certified PLASTIC surgeon and look at his/her before and after photos before making a decision.
Good Luck to you!

Hi,
Usually recovery after surgery varies but usually about 4-6 weeks you should start to feel better. However as you said, pain is very personal and varies.