The fear of pain and recovery can be the biggest deterrent from plastic surgery. Reality television shows that highlight the negative sides of cosmetic surgery can turn someone off to the idea. But the majority of our patients are surprised at how well they handle the pain following their procedure.

Pain is relative to each of our patients and each surgery is different. We have some patients that can resume activity far sooner than others depending on their pain tolerance. As always, we recommend listening to your body as that is going to be the best way to recognize when your body can begin to tolerate activity and pain medications can be reduced or done away with.

On average, our patients use their pain medication for the first 2-3 days after their procedure. Depending on which type of plastic surgery you had, you may find that you’ll need them for an extended period of time. For example, breast augmentation patients are sometimes surprised that they don’t have as much pain as they expected after their procedure.

Some surgeries are harder on the body than others. Rhinoplasty can be a painful recovery because it can cause symptoms such as headaches and pain swallowing or speaking. Breast reconstruction can also be a painful surgery due to the amount of stretching of the skin and manipulation that Dr. Lawton performs during surgery leading to pain when lifting your arms. Again, this all depends on your specific pain tolerance.

As an experienced plastic surgeon, I do everything I can during surgery to lessen the amount of swelling and distress to the body. I can help you post-procedure to help with pain management so you can have the best, most comfortable recovery possible.