Improving Tummy Tuck Recovery: EXPAREL® Pain Relief & No Drain Tummy Tuck Technique (Updated 2024)

Abdominoplasty, often called a tummy tuck, helps many Denver women and men significantly improve the appearance of their midsection. Our team uses only the most advanced methods to provide you with a smooth recovery and beautiful results. Two innovations in particular make tummy tuck recovery more comfortable: eliminating postsurgical drains and administering the long-acting pain reliever Exparel.

Let’s delve into how these 2 advances ease your recovery, so you can recuperate more comfortably.

How a Drainless Tummy Tuck Improves Recovery

Drains prevent the accumulation of blood and fluids in the surgical area. Patients typically don’t like drains as they are cumbersome, need to be emptied several times a day, and will eventually need to be removed. Here at The Center for Cosmetic Surgery, we have started using a no-drain tummy tuck technique that makes recovery easier and more effective.

Instead of using drains, we use progressive tension sutures to prevent the development of a seroma (pocket of fluid). These sutures connect the tummy tuck skin flap to the abdominal wall to prevent fluid from accumulating and minimize the risk of infection.

Recovery is simply easier without drains. Patients can walk and move around more comfortably, and there are no tubes to irritate the skin, which enhances your comfort and safety.

Tummy tuck surgery without drains also has cosmetic benefits. Learn more in our related blog post.

How EXPAREL Makes Recovery More Comfortable

In addition to using a no-drain tummy tuck technique and prescribing patients the most effective pain medication available, we offer EXPAREL for continuing pain control. This non-narcotic, non-opioid pain reliever is injected directly into the abdominal tissue, fascia, and muscles during surgery and acts as a nerve block.

We often use EXPAREL during surgery when the core abdominal muscles are tightened and brought together. This part of the procedure often creates the most discomfort post-op. However, EXPAREL contains a medication called bupivacaine, which is released slowly into the surgical site and can help manage pain for up to 72 hours post-op, making recovery more comfortable

Often oral pain medication can cause nausea, constipation, drowsiness, and other side effects. Many patients who opt for EXPAREL report less need for narcotic pain medication. This reduction can lead to reduced side effects. Additionally, EXPAREL can save you money. Purchasing additional prescription pain medications can be expensive and add hundreds of dollars to your procedure.

Tummy Tuck Results

Tummy tuck surgery can provide patients with lasting improvements to the midsection by removing excess skin and reducing the belly bulge caused by weakened abdominal muscles. Using EXPAREL and our drainless tummy tuck technique can benefit results, too. The progressive tension sutures used during a drainless tummy tuck place less tension on the incision during the healing process. This results in a finer and less noticeable scar.

Drainless Tummy Tuck Before and After

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Is a No-Drain Tummy Tuck Right for You?

If you want to discuss whether a no-drain tummy tuck can produce the results you want, request a consultation online or give us a call at (303) 278-2600.