Risk of swimming after surgery

[jumpthenexttrain]

I had surgery 6 weeks ago (5 weeks ago for one side which had a second hematoma surgery)  and I'm dying to go swimming. I see my Dr on June 4th, but I wondered if it would really be harmful to go swimming this weekend. I didn't have nipple graphs because he used the t anchor procedure, so my nipples are fine and healed. The incisions don't have any more scabs. I would definitely be wearing a shirt and not exposing my chest to the sun, it would probably be an indoor pool at the Y..so in your opinion...do you think it would be ok to go swimming yet? Are there any specific risks?

[katrinaw]

Hmmm, I'd check with your Dr....

Pool water, whilst chlorinated, can still harbour some bugs...

L Katy

[Ms Grace]

I'd be waiting until you were completely healed, no more bandages or stitches or whatnot before getting in a swimming pool, the sea, a river, a lake, etc. The risk of infection is too great. Consult with your doctor first.

[HeyTrace19]

..so in your opinion...do you think it would be ok to go swimming yet? Are there any specific risks?

Specific risks would be infection of open wounds, and possibly tearing open a suture line with excessive motion...

If you are asking for an opinion from a guy who has been through this but is not a medical professional, then YES, I would go swimming.  But only if my wounds were completely healed and I were more or less floating around in the pool because it feels good rather than swimming some serious laps for exercise purposes.  I also might be inclined to wait until I spoke with my surgeon...just one more week.
Hope whatever you decide feels right to you.

[Laura_7]

What is it that you miss ?

Contact with water ? Could you go there and sit at the rim, with your feet in... or treading where it is shallow, not going in fully ? ( Don't do this if you know you are tempted to go in fully )


Some kind of movement ? Could you go for a few walks ?

Well if waiting some there would be enough time later...

hugs

[jumpthenexttrain]

What is it that you miss ?

Contact with water ? Could you go there and sit at the rim, with your feet in... or treading where it is shallow, not going in fully ? ( Don't do this if you know you are tempted to go in fully )


Some kind of movement ? Could you go for a few walks ?

Well if waiting some there would be enough time later...

hugs

I really just wanted to experience swimming without wearing an awkward binder the whole time and worrying about hiding it. I did notice some scabs still at one part of my incision, so I guess I'll wait for now until I see my surgeon. I'm really bad at waiting for things.

[Laura_7]

I really just wanted to experience swimming without wearing an awkward binder the whole time and worrying about hiding it. I did notice some scabs still at one part of my incision, so I guess I'll wait for now until I see my surgeon. I'm really bad at waiting for things.

You will be rewarded later by waiting

*hugs*

[Alexthecat]

I waited until two months post op to swim. There still was a bit of a pulling feeling along the incisions so don't overdo it.

[FTMax]

Reporting in after a trip to the pool today 

My incisions are all closed up, my nips are totally healed (finally). My doctor said I was good to go as long as I wasn't in direct sunlight, so I went to an indoor pool.

It will really depend on what kind of swimming you want to do. If you just want to get in a pool and play a round a bit, you'll be fine as soon as you're not scabby. If you want to do laps, don't do anything that has an exaggerated arm movement. I could pretty much only do a breaststroke without feeling anything pulling, and not at the full speed I used to be able to swim at.