subject: Is There Any Way To Tell How Much My Liposuction Will Hurt? [print this page] There are a number of different factors--both about the particular surgery as well as the individual patient--that affect the amount of pain a person undergoing liposuction will feel, so it is difficult to say exactly how a certain person will feel during and after the surgery.
Some former patients say their liposuction expereinces were very nearly-pain free, with very mild, almost ticklish sensations during the surgery itself and only over-the-counter strength painkillers needed afterwards, and that for only a few days immediately after the surgery. Other people say they experienced extreme pain during the surgery, and for many weeks or even months thereafter.
In order to make sense of these vastly different claims, one has to realize how many different factors play into the amount of pain a patient can experience.
Liposuction surgeons generally make use of local rather than general anesthetic, which only numbs the specific area to be worked on rather than rendering the person unconscious. Partly this is because general anesthesia carries a greater risk of complications, and partly it is because patient feedback is often helpful to the surgeon in his attempt to make the results as pleasing as possible.
However, one drawback of local anesthesia is that it doesn't affect everyone exactly the same. Two patients of the same height, weight, and build can be administered the same dosage of anesthesia, but on one of them it may render the area completely numb, while on the other quite a bit of sensation can still be felt. Thus these two people would report very different amounts of pain.
Another factor is exactly what technique is used. There is some dispute among the various practitioners as to which method of liposuction is the least painful, but because the techniques vary so much, it makes sense that they would produce different amounts of pain.
The area(s) of the body to be operated on also has something to do with the amount of pain. Some places have more nerves, some places fewer. Also, the more areas undergoing liposuction at one time, the more likely it is that the person will experience greater pain.
Finally, the skill of the surgeon can also make quite a difference. Most informational sites advise people considering liposuction to be willing to spend a little more in order to get a well-qualified and experienced surgeon, both to minimize the risk of pain and also to get the best results possible for their money.
