The Wonders of a Tummy Tuck with Exparel
Are you considering a tummy tuck to tighten your abs and flatten your stomach?
If so, there’s no time like the present.
Advances in surgical procedures have made tummy tuck surgery more streamlined than ever before. And a revolutionary new medication called Exparel puts the kibosh on the myth that recovery is terribly painful.
In fact, patients who have a tummy tuck with Exparel feel little pain in the days that follow surgery. Sound too good to be true? Read on.
Doing away with Drains
Once upon a time, patients would wake up from tummy tuck surgery to find they had to manage two or even three drains. These drains were required to siphon off the fluid that built up in the body between the newly lifted tissue during the surgery and the abdominal wall.
Drains were, to put it mildly, a drag. The hoses got crimped and they sometimes clogged. Plus, the portal of entry was a veritable breeding ground for bacteria.
Fortunately, the progressive tension sutures surgeons use today did away with those cumbersome drains.
Rather than placing drains in the space beneath the lifted and repositioned tissue, a skilled surgeon advances the skin flaps down toward the incision line. This eliminates the space created during the procedure. It also decreases the tension on the final line of closure, which creates a much more aesthetic scar.
And all of this means a smoother and faster recovery. Especially when used in tandem with Exparel.
What Is a Tummy Tuck with Exparel?
It’s pretty great, is what it is.
Typically, the first three or four days after a tummy tuck surgery were once the most painful. So post-surgical pain was usually treated solely with narcotics.
Now, narcotics do a stellar job at managing pain. But they also have side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, constipation and nausea. Furthermore, they present the risk of addiction – as is evidenced by the current opioid epidemic in the U.S. So it’s important they’re used sparingly.
Thus, responsible plastic surgeons have turned to Exparel.
This long-lasting extended release anesthetic helps to ease the pain during early recovery. And it works in much the same way you get a shot to numb your mouth at the dentist’s office.
This miracle medication is administered at the end of the surgery before the patient is awakened. It’s either done prior to closure by the surgeon by direct injection into the nerves behind the muscle, or by the anesthesiologist by way of TAP lock after closure. It simply blocks the nerves of the abdomen during the procedure.
Either way, when the patient comes out of surgery, much of the abdominal area is numb. And where there’s numbness, there’s little to no pain. Plus, unlike at the dentist, it continues to provide pain control for up to three days.
While it doesn’t eliminate the pain during recovery, it greatly reduces the amount of narcotics (by about 66%) that a patient will need.
The fewer narcotics, the better.
Forget the Pain
You don’t have to be a victim of excruciating pain to reap the rewards of a flat belly.
A tummy tuck with Exparel can make your dreams of a gorgeous toned abdomen a reality without subjecting you to days of torture. So don’t hesitate to contact us to schedule your free consultation. One of our board-certified surgeons will consult with you on best options.
And you can soon have a slimmer, flatter tummy without the “payoff” of pain.