When can you walk after appendicitis?
If appendectomy is performed for uncomplicated catarrhal, phlegmonous or gangrenous appendicitis, you can and should walk within 5-6 hours after the operation. Early activation of patients is always welcome.
Complicated forms of acute appendicitis (gangrenous-perforated, peritonitis, periappendiceal abscess) force one to refrain from walking for 1-2 days. Everything depends on the actual capabilities of the patient and is decided individually in a particular case. It is better if you sit on the bed with your legs down for a few minutes before walking on your own. Only after this, under the supervision of medical staff or relatives, stand up and take a few steps. Subsequent walking will be much easier and painless.
conclusions
Let's summarize. Hysteroscopy is performed by inserting a hysteroscope through the vagina. After which, it is necessary to exclude any stress on the abdominal area, as well as contact with a potential carrier of pathogenic or conditionally pathogenic microflora, as a result of which all rules of personal hygiene, the use of tampons and sexual intercourse must be observed for one month.
By following the recommendations given by your attending physician, you can avoid the development of complications, restore the health of your reproductive organs and begin a full life, including an intimate one.
Is it possible to swim after appendicitis?
Full bathing after an appendectomy until the sutures are removed is out of the question. Local washing of individual areas of the body is not only permitted, but must be carried out daily.
The main condition is that water and hygiene products should not get on the postoperative wound. Full bathing can only be allowed after the stitches are removed. It is better if it takes place over the course of two weeks using a shower. After this time, swimming in any form is allowed.
Scar - cosmetic effect
Over time, the scar will become thinner and lighter, but the structure - the healed tissue - will never change. Scar formation is influenced by:
- type of operation;
- complications;
- individual characteristics of the patient's skin;
- using creams and ointments to heal the wound.
The scar consists of two layers: internal and external. If the inner layer becomes inflamed or does not heal well, the doctor will have to cut the outer layer to eliminate the cause of the inflammation.
Because of this, the scar will increase in size. To prevent this from happening, follow your doctor's recommendations.
How to reduce a scar
While the scar has not formed, the patient can make it less noticeable with the help of ointments with a regenerative effect.
Abdominal wounds heal in 10–12 days
In addition, microdermabrasion is performed in hospitals. This is a process of micro-resurfacing of the top layer of skin. During cleaning, the upper stratum corneum is removed from the patient's skin. But it is carried out only in the clinic and after consulting a doctor.
Physical activity after appendicitis
Appendectomy involves gentle treatment for a month after surgery. Heavy physical activity is contraindicated for 3 months. This means that patients have the right to be on sick leave for 30 days from the date of the operation.
Loads within the scope of normal everyday life (slow and short walking, housework) are allowed. Avoid prolonged standing. Compliance with such a gentle regimen is necessary for normal scarring of the postoperative wound and the prevention of its failure in the form of dehiscence or hernia.
Restrictions during the recovery period
The main restrictions relate to nutrition, physical activity and general recovery regime. There are a number of recommendations regarding nutrition :
- on the first day, absolute hunger and plenty of drinking are indicated;
- in the next three days, patients are served ground semi-liquid dishes with a high protein content;
- food should be at a comfortable temperature;
- cooking methods - boiling, baking, steaming;
- meals are only fractional (small portions several times a day).
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It is important to exclude the consumption of coarse fiber and gas-forming products (cabbage, legumes). Immediately after eating, you need to relax and rest so that the body's resources are not depleted and are adequately distributed to restore and normalize digestion.
If there is a tendency to constipation or diarrhea, the diet consists of foods that prevent stool instability and help stabilize intestinal motility.
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Physical exercise
Even during bed rest, moderate therapeutic exercises are indicated , aimed at preventing bedsores, congestion in the lungs, and pelvic area. The exercises are aimed at improving blood and lymph flow in the lower abdomen and accelerating wound healing.
Basic exercises in the early postoperative period:
- ensuring mobility of the upper and lower extremities;
- breathing exercises (in case of complications, they resort to inflating balloons);
- Stretching exercises that eliminate stress on the abdominal and abdominal muscles.
After discharge, the patient is recommended to wear corrective knitwear, supportive underwear, a bandage, and a fixing plaster. Patients are allowed full mobility within 2-4 days after surgery; patients independently visit the toilet and move around the hospital and hospital grounds.
Important! Other recovery measures include vitamin therapy, taking immunomodulators, wearing a bandage, avoiding prolonged contact with water and visiting baths, saunas, and steam rooms. Men and women are prohibited from lifting weights.
Sports after appendectomy
For a month after the appendectomy, professional sports are out of the question. To keep athletes in shape, physical therapy is mandatory. Its main emphasis is on the work of the muscles of the limbs. The abdominal muscles should be at rest during this period. After a month, you can include them in a set of exercises, but not very intense ones.
It is also better to refrain from running during this time. It is replaced by leisurely walking and leg exercises. Full weightlifting is permissible no earlier than after 3 months. Fans of active sports games (football, volleyball, basketball, etc.) should follow the same rule.
What is abortion and methods of termination
It is important to follow all the specialist’s recommendations for women for whom this question is more than an idle one, since they dream of getting pregnant again as soon as possible. In this case, you cannot rush and indulge in open sex right away: a condom must be used for the time specified by the doctor, primarily to protect against the postoperative risk of infection. Unfortunately, the period of abstinence recommended by doctors is not always observed and this negatively affects the body, spreading infections and developing complications.
Such failure to meet deadlines can even lead to uterine bleeding due to tissue damage due to incomplete healing. In addition, violation of the regime is closely associated with diseases such as endometritis and adnexitis (inflammation of the ovaries and appendages).
Is it possible to smoke after appendicitis?
If an experienced smoker has been operated on for acute appendicitis, then no recommendations or warnings from doctors will affect his decision to smoke in the postoperative period. Smoking does not have a direct effect on the course of the wound process. But a negative effect on the respiratory tract and lungs is typical. Therefore, it is better to refrain from smoking for 3 days during the typical course of the postoperative period, so as not to provoke laryngospasm. In more complex cases of complicated appendicitis, this period should be continued as long as possible.
Possible complications
As you resume physical activity and your usual lifestyle, it is important to monitor your general condition, the suture, and the abdominal and peritoneal areas. If symptoms of trouble appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Warning signs of complications:
- itching, redness of the skin in the scar area;
- hardening of the wound surface, peritoneum;
- cramping pain in the abdominal area;
- the suture becomes wet if the threads have not yet been removed (discharge of serous exudate, pus, mucus, blood);
- temperature increase;
- signs of intoxication: hyperthermia, vomiting, nausea, weakness, depression of consciousness.
Sex and physical activity with an excessively active lifestyle can contribute to the development of complications, including infectious ones . During sex after appendicitis, it is imperative to protect yourself - a weakened immune system can “miss” an infection that affects the genitourinary tract, urethra, bladder, and kidneys.
Is it possible to have sex after appendicitis?
In the first week after appendectomy, it is better to abstain from sex, especially after complicated forms of appendicitis. The typical postoperative course allows for unforced sexual intercourse, which is not accompanied by strong abdominal tension for 4-5 days of the postoperative period. Full sex is permissible a week after the stitches are removed.
Author of the article:
Volkov Dmitry Sergeevich |
Ph.D. surgeon, phlebologist Education: Moscow State Medical and Dental University (1996). In 2003, he received a diploma from the educational and scientific medical center for the administration of the President of the Russian Federation. Our authors
Consequences of inaccurate or too intense sexual intercourse
The main danger after aggressive sexual intercourse is suture dehiscence (especially if there are threads or drainage structures) and internal bleeding. Other complications include genital infections and the addition of genitourinary infectious processes.
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If signs of complications appear, it is important to consult a doctor immediately . Late presentation and ignoring primary symptoms usually lead to the need for repeat abdominal surgery.
Terms of rehabilitation
After the operation, the patient is transferred to a ward, where medical workers monitor recovery from anesthesia and possible complications from its use. If there are no problems, after 8 hours the patient can carefully rise and move in bed.
In the first days, the patient receives anesthetics and antibiotics to exclude infection, and all his movements are controlled by nurses.
Laparoscopy is chosen if appendicitis is not complicated and there are no contraindications to its use. This is the most gentle intervention option. The patient can get up a day after the manipulation; in the absence of complications, discharge occurs on days 3-7.
The period of postoperative rehabilitation after removal of appendicitis by laparoscopy is 2, less often 4 weeks.
Abdominal surgery requires a longer recovery period. The usual period is a month. With accompanying complications, it may take up to six months to fully recover.
