Pain varies after a surgery. Some minor surgeries involve very little pain while one is recovering. Generally the amount felt after a surgery depends upon the type of surgery, and the degree to which it can be controlled by medication.
Surgeries that are minor, like removing a basal cell mole, or having a root canal tend to be associated with a small amount of pain at the site of surgery that may last a day or two. Usually this can be well controlled with narcotic medications like codeine.
Pain described as throbbing after the first couple of days may suggest infection. Particularly when someone has had a mole removed, or major surgery on the mouth, pain that one can feel constantly may indicate that the surgical wound has been exposed to bacteria.
Generally a doctor will tell one how many days one can expect pain, and what degree of discomfort one can expect. Thus if a doctor tells one to expect minor discomfort, and instead one has major pain, one should probably see a physician to rule out infection and to better control medications.
The problem with classifying pain is that perception of it influences how much it is felt. Some people have a lower threshold than do others. If one is aware of this, it should be mentioned and stressed during any pre-surgery interviews. What a patient describes as major pain might generally be considered minor by others. However, no doctor wishes someone to suffer unnecessarily and may prescribe stronger medication for the patient with a lower pain threshold.
Some surgeries are associated with more painful recoveries. For example an open-heart surgery can be painful afterwards, because usually the doctor must break the sternum in order to gain access to the heart. The sternum is rewired after the heart is repaired, but one is now dealing with a broken bone, in an area that is difficult to cast.
Certain movements after a sternum has been broken, such as raising the arms above the head can provoke a great deal of pain during the first few weeks. However, without infection, most find that this gradually lessens, and the most discomfort occurs in the first week after a heart surgery.
Most orthopedic surgeries, like hip or knee replacements are associated with more discomfort. Physical therapy to regain use of an afflicted limb or joint may also be painful. Again, perception influences pain, and mood can also affect what is felt.
Surgeries done on internal organs, such as the removal of the appendix may not be associated with a great deal of pain after the first couple of days. Most often, the most painful aspect after a surgery is the incision and stitches.
Some plastic surgery procedures are associated with minor to moderate pain. For example massive liposuction may cause bruising that can last for several weeks. Minor liposuction, conversely, may cause only a small amount of discomfort.