Q: I’ve put off facial plastic surgery because I worry about the pain. What can I expect, and how do I make it easier?
A: You’ll be glad to know that my patients generally don’t need more than Tylenol after surgery. There are exceptions of course, and stronger medications are used in those rare cases, but my patients describe their experience as aching or discomfort, and only for a day or two at most. In the hands of an experienced surgeon, procedures like eyelid lifts, minilifts, facelifts, rhinoplasty (“nose jobs”), facial implants and browlifts can now be done without worry. For those with a low pain threshold, I will prescribe Tramadol, but it often sits unused.
I’m able to reduce the discomfort after surgery with the help of less invasive techniques and advanced equipment like electrocautery and lasers. The less disruption to the area, the lower the risks of post-surgical pain. Circulation in the face and neck area is usually excellent, so infection is virtually unheard of. I do a large number of surgeries and pain is just not a big issue. In fact, most patients are feeling really good after just a few days, without pain or medications. The biggest thing you can do to make it easier is to choose an experienced surgeon you trust, who takes the time to know you and your goals and talks through everything with you. I hope this helps put your fears to rest.