Pain Control – Pratt Plastic Surgery
Serving Patients in Tacoma, Seattle, Everett and Bellevue, Washington
As a top Seattle plastic surgeon, Dr. David Pratt understands that one of the chief concerns of patients undergoing elective plastic surgery is effective pain control following surgery.
As a result, we at Pratt Plastic Surgicenter have developed our PainBuster Therapy regimen in order to maximize effective pain control. Through many years of trial and error, Dr. Pratt has developed what he feels is the ultimate in pain and anxiety control measures.
- You will receive an oral “relaxing medicine” (sedative) upon arrival to our surgicenter on the day of surgery.
- Your skin will be numbed with a local anesthetic prior to placing your IV
- You will be given a medicine through your IV which further relaxes you before entering the operating room. From this point to the time you awaken in recovery room, it will seem like merely a second has passed.
- Dr. Pratt will numb the surgery area prior to the completion of surgery with an ultra-long acting “numbing medication” called Exparel, which provides comfort for up to 3 days.
- For some procedures such as Tummy Tuck and Breast Augmentation the “magic” of Exparel has eliminated the need for the invasive catheters of the ON-Q pain pump, which was previously used for post-op pain control. With Exparel, you will enjoy a significant relief of discomfort and require less “mind-numbing” pain medication.
- Following surgery, you will receive several varieties of analgesics (pain medication) through your I.V., typically including narcotics and a powerful non-narcotic medicine with the PainBusting strength of 10 milligrams of morphine.
- You will receive prescriptions for oral pain medication which should be filled prior to surgery and brought with you on your surgical day.
- The muscle relaxant Valium will be prescribed to all abdominoplasty, breast augmentation surgery, and liposuction patients in order to minimize discomfort due to muscle spasms.
- Refills for pain medication and muscle relaxants will be available for 3–4 weeks following surgery.