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Does abscess incision and drainage hurt?

An abscess incision and drainage procedure should not hurt. The doctor will inject a local anesthetic, which may cause a burning sensation. This quickly goes away, and the area around the abscess becomes numb to the touch.

There might be some pain after the procedure, but it shouldn’t be any more painful than the abscess felt before the surgery.

What is an abscess?

What size of abscess should be drained?

Is abscess draining considered surgery?

What can you expect after having an abscess drained?

Do I need antibiotics after abscess drainage?

Can an abscess come back after drainage?

* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

Sidecar Health offers and administers a variety of plans including ACA compliant and excepted benefit plans. Coverage and plan options may vary or may not be available in all states.

Your actual costs may be higher or lower than these cost estimates. Check with your provider and health plan details to confirm the costs that you may be charged for a service or procedure.You are responsible for costs that are not covered and for getting any pre-authorizations or referrals required by your health plan. Neither payments nor benefits are guaranteed. Provider data, including price data, provided in part by Turquoise Health.

The site is not a substitute for medical or healthcare advice and does not serve as a recommendation for a particular provider or type of medical or healthcare.