I’m curious how long it takes for the incisions to heal? And more specifically, how long until we can swim?

We were told No swimming for a full week following surgery. Incisions heal generally in about 2 good weeks but each person's healing will very as I'm sure you realize. I'm 7 days from being 2 months out and feel fully healed.

We were told No swimming for a full week following surgery. Incisions heal generally in about 2 good weeks but each person's healing will very as I'm sure you realize. I'm 7 days from being 2 months out and feel fully healed.

That’s great! How long did it take for you to be back to a pretty normal schedule in daily life?

Id say by week 2 everything was normal, still some pain here and there in my incision area but nothing pain medication worthy.

The thing about pools and gyms in general is that they are a hotbed of bacteria. First rule is to ask your surgeon. Rule of thumb would be to wait until you have completely healed incisions that you no longer need so much as a bandaid to cover.

I'm at 3 weeks post op and my incisions are completely closed and healed. I used my hot tub at 2 weeks post op.

I was swimming a month out.

They said 1 month for my program to swim.

Man I hope my program allows at 1-2 weeks, my surgery will be July and I’d love to be able to go to the pool during my time off work.

I didn’t know of the restriction and swam at 3 weeks in a pool, I was fine. I suspect a pool is safer than natural bodies of water in terms of bacteria etc.

9 hours ago, Losebig said:

I suspect a pool is safer than natural bodies of Water in terms of bacteria etc.

lol, I am going to assume you have not worked at a place that has a pool. I mean no insult, but just speaking from personal experience, I have seen people use the pool as a bathtub. Don't shower before getting in after getting hot and sweaty, couples having sex in the water, kids peeing, adult peeing, women who honest to god believe that they stop menstruating once submerged in water (I am not even joking on that one), and people with open sores or infections that think that the chlorine will clean the wounds. That last part is true; but still, ewww. I remember the sanitation crews talking about how people don't bother wiping because the pool will take care of it.

There is a very good reason to avoid pools and especially hot tubs & saunas, post surgery. The amount of bacteria is staggeringly high.

31 minutes ago, BigViffer said:

lol, I am going to assume you have not worked at a place that has a pool. I mean no insult, but just speaking from personal experience, I have seen people use the pool as a bathtub. Don't shower before getting in after getting hot and sweaty, couples having sex in the Water, kids peeing, adult peeing, women who honest to god believe that they stop menstruating once submerged in water (I am not even joking on that one), and people with open sores or infections that think that the chlorine will clean the wounds. That last part is true; but still, ewww. I remember the sanitation crews talking about how people don't bother wiping because the pool will take care of it.

There is a very good reason to avoid pools and especially hot tubs & saunas, post surgery. The amount of bacteria is staggeringly high.

?

4 hours ago, BigViffer said:

lol, I am going to assume you have not worked at a place that has a pool. I mean no insult, but just speaking from personal experience, I have seen people use the pool as a bathtub. Don't shower before getting in after getting hot and sweaty, couples having sex in the Water, kids peeing, adult peeing, women who honest to god believe that they stop menstruating once submerged in water (I am not even joking on that one), and people with open sores or infections that think that the chlorine will clean the wounds. That last part is true; but still, ewww. I remember the sanitation crews talking about how people don't bother wiping because the pool will take care of it.

There is a very good reason to avoid pools and especially hot tubs & saunas, post surgery. The amount of bacteria is staggeringly high.

All very true and a good reason to follow the instructions. I was more referring to things like flesh eating bacteria and other very bad pathogens that can be found in the ocean. Pretty much any body of water is pretty nasty where people (or animals) are involved

On 3/2/2018 at 10:58 PM, baribetty said:

I’m curious how long it takes for the incisions to heal? And more specifically, how long until we can swim?

I was cleared to swim at two weeks post-op with no issues whatsoever & my incisions have healed nicely since.

I started swimming about 3 weeks post op. My incisions were no longer scabby though. I'd wait until they are fully healed. It felt so good to swim. It's a miracle work out for me. I don't feel the burn until its all over!

7 hours ago, BigViffer said:

lol, I am going to assume you have not worked at a place that has a pool. I mean no insult, but just speaking from personal experience, I have seen people use the pool as a bathtub. Don't shower before getting in after getting hot and sweaty, couples having sex in the Water, kids peeing, adult peeing, women who honest to god believe that they stop menstruating once submerged in water (I am not even joking on that one), and people with open sores or infections that think that the chlorine will clean the wounds. That last part is true; but still, ewww. I remember the sanitation crews talking about how people don't bother wiping because the pool will take care of it.

There is a very good reason to avoid pools and especially hot tubs & saunas, post surgery. The amount of bacteria is staggeringly high.

Thanks for that disgusting yet probably true analogy. I think I just puked in my mouth a little!