Improving Surgical Recovery with EXPAREL^® and OFIRMEV™

February 24, 2015

Part of our mission as a Joint Commission accredited center for cosmetic surgery excellence is to provide patients with exceptional care before, during, and after treatment. One of the things patients fear the most is pain after surgery. Saratoga Springs Plastic Surgery, PC offers Ofirmev™ and Exparel^® to promote postoperative comfort. Exparel^® is a long acting local anesthetic that provides up to three days of pain relief, while most local anesthetics last eight hours or less. Exparel^® can be used after any treatment that Dr. Steven Yarinsky would normally use an analgesic or numbing agent to help minimize pain. Ofirmev™ is an intravenous form of Tylenol^® (acetaminophen) is given to patients during their cosmetic surgery to significant reduce postoperative pain without the complications of narcotics. Cosmetic procedures that lend themselves to these new pain-relief medications include breast augmentation, breast lift, facelift, and tummy tuck.

Dr. Yarinsky administers a localized dose of Exparel^® into the target surgical area which numbs the area for a prolonged time providing continuous pain relief for up to 72 hours. The injection can control pain or discomfort that is experienced within the first few days after surgery without the need for much supplemental pain medication. Following this time period discomfort is typically very subtle and easier to tolerate. Ofirmev™ is given through the IV during a breast or body contouring procedure. It significantly reduces postoperative pain and decreases the need for narcotics. Patients have less narcotic-induced nausea and feel better. Therefore their discharge home and overall recovery are speeded after having their office procedure. No pain, big patient gain!

If you are considering plastic surgery and are curious if EXPAREL^® and Ofirmev™ can be utilized for pain relief to help keep you as comfortable as possible, feel free to schedule a consultation with Dr. Yarinsky where he can discuss your options in more detail.