When you’re contemplating plastic surgery, one thing that can be difficult to imagine is the level of pain you might expect. It doesn’t help if your prospective plastic surgeon is a bit vague. You understand why your doctor might hesitate to be definitive about pain. After all, you know the main disclaimer-everyone experiences pain in his or her own way. You may even get it that when recovery is complete, any pain you may have felt will be a distant memory, much the same way that childbirth is for many women. But still you want your surgeon to stop using the word discomfort and answer the basic question: How much is it going to hurt?
With those same disclaimers in mind, here’s yet another one: I am a writer with years of experience covering plastic surgery, but I’m not a doctor. That said, I have heard the experiences of many women firsthand, and I’ve checked in with my friend and plastic surgeon, Dr. David Kaufman of Sacramento. With this input, here’s a prospective pain picture that may be of some help.
Generally Mild Pain
Rhinoplasty, or nose surgery, causes mild post-operative pain for most patients. Even when bones are broken or shaved during the procedure, many people get by afterward on over-the-counter pain relievers. Most other facial cosmetic surgery also causes minimal pain during recovery.
Most breast procedures also cause mild pain for most patients. You may not be able to raise your arms above your head for a few days, and your doctor will discourage you from lifting any weight for a bit. Otherwise, women often report that breast augmentation, breast lift and even breast reduction surgery is less painful than they expected. There is one potential exception, and that’s when breast implants are placed underneath the chest wall muscle (as they are often are nowadays).
Arm lift surgery, or brachioplasty, is usually not terribly painful. While the incisions between your elbow and armpit may make arm movement tricky for a while, the procedure itself does not venture deeply into the arms and disturb highly sensitive tissues.
Mild to Moderate Pain
When breast implants are inserted below the pectoralis, or chest wall muscle, patients often report more post-op pain than patients who have implants placed above the muscle. It makes sense, as inserting silicone or saline implants under the muscle is more invasive. Nevertheless, cosmetic surgeons and patients often prefer this method to create the most natural looking breasts.
Abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, is often characterized as producing mild to moderate pain. It is also more invasive than many procedures, as the cosmetic surgeon will tighten up the abdominal muscles while removing redundant skin and possibly performing liposuction.
Liposuction itself is usually characterized as causing mild to moderate pain. The degree depends on what area of the body is being treated and how aggressive the procedure. The larger the area, the more fat targeted for removal, the more post-op pain you can expect.
Thigh lift, a procedure that lifts saggy skin on the upper legs, can cause moderate pain in recovery. That’s because usually some liposuction is also performed and because walking, sitting and even resting can be a challenge while your legs heal.
Moderate and More Pain
Somewhat surprisingly, a forehead lift or brow lift can cause more than mild post-op pain. That’s because many plastic surgeons will lift brow skin and secure it with screws or small fixation devices that anchor the skin in its more youthful position. Many patients report a fierce headache after surgery, but it doesn’t usually last more than a day or two.
Post-weight loss patients sometimes seek a procedure called torsoplasty or circumferential abdominoplasty. You may be able to guess what it is: an abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, extended around the entire lower torso. Redundant skin is removed, muscles can be sutured to tighten them up and liposuction is often performed to banish any remaining stubborn pockets of fat. The procedure fairly invasive, and because it circles the abdomen it can be challenging for patients to find a comfortable resting position for a few days after surgery.
Similarly, it can be difficult to find a comfortable position for post-op recovery from butt lift surgery. As you can imagine, sitting and lying on your back is out of the question for several days. Dr. Kaufman doesn’t do this procedure and did not comment on the pain potential, but my own research indicates the post-op pain level can range from moderate to intense for a few days.
,strong> If You’re Worried About Pain:
Increasingly, plastic surgeons offer pain pumps for the mild-to-moderate pain procedures. The pump itself is external, usually housed in a little container like a fanny pack. Small catheters channel an anesthetic directly to the surgical site, greatly reducing discomfort. The delivery tubes can be removed easily a few days after surgery. If you’re planning a procedure and pain is a big concern, discuss the possibility of a pain pump with your physician.