One of the biggest impediments to getting a tummy tuck is patient’s fear that they will throw up after surgery. Who wants to get their tummy tightened and then spend the next several days throwing up? Options to prevent nausea prior to getting a tummy tuck have vastly improved to over the past few years.
The first development was the approval of the medication Emend by the Food and Drug Administration in 2006. Emend works through a novel mechanism,which primarily blocks nausea and vomiting signals to the brain and has been shown to have a tremendous benefit in reducing postoperative nausea and vomiting prevention caused from general anesthesia. Dr. Jejurikar prescribes Emend to all patients prior to surgery and has seen a huge effect in lessening nausea the first 48 hours after surgery.
The second development is the introduction of better anti-nausea pills for patients. Dr. Jejurikar prescribes Phenergan (Promethazine) for his patients to take the first few days after surgery. It is particularly effective for dealing with the nausea and vomiting that result from taking narcotic pain medications postoperatively.
The third development is the introduction of better local anesthetic agents that can tremendously lessen the need for postoperative narcotic pain medication. Exparel is a novel new local anesthetic agent that Dr. Jejurikar routinely injects into the abdominal walls of patients undergoing tummy tucks. It can block nerve fibers that cause pain for up to 72 hours postoperatively. Because of less pain, patients are taking less narcotic pain medication and, as a result, are experiencing less nausea and vomiting.
The most important thing to remember is the symptoms of uncomfortable nausea and vomiting can be controlled and even prevented. If you have any questions regarding tummy tuck surgery, do not hesitate to contact Dr. Jejurikar’s Dallas or Plano offices at 214-827-2814.