How long until I can get back to work?
Plastic surgery is fortunately done in areas of the body that do not have the lingering, severe pain of many other types of surgery. Usually pain after surgery can be described as achy rather than searing or intense. Patients typically are able to control their discomfort with prescription medicines that can be taken by mouth rather than by injections. By the time a person returns to work 1 to 2 weeks after the surgery, they are usually able to be comfortable with the nonprescription medications. This is the type that is most commonly used for headaches and such. Usually pain is most noticed in the immediate periods after surgery once any local anesthetic has worn off. After the patient makes it over this initial hump, the recovery seems to settle down into a very manageable stage very quickly. Usually if intense pain is experienced, this indicates the need to see the doctor for evaluation. It can signal the start of an infection or the presence of bleeding. More than pain, it takes a bit longer for the patient to get used to the change in his/her appearance of body image and become comfortable with that change. Patients will often protect or guard this area for much longer than the pain exists until change is incorporated into their everyday lives.