“When can I have sex after surgery?” may be a question that runs in people’s minds days after going under the knife. It’s a normal, healthy thing to ask, yet answering it is not as simple.
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In this article:
- What You Need to Know About Sex After Surgery
- Post-Op Sex Pain and You
- Sex After Surgery: What Sexual Play You Can Enjoy
- Sex After Surgery Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Before You Can Have Sex After Surgery
What You Need to Know About Sex After Surgery
Asking about sex after surgery shows positive signs about your sexual health and other aspects of your physical well-being. You and your doctor will factor in the following when you’re discussing sexual intercourse after surgery:
1. Ask If It’s Outpatient or Inpatient Surgery
The length of time you’ll be off from sex depends on whether you’ll be staying in the hospital or going home right after surgery.
If your doctor says he’ll put you through outpatient surgery, the longest time you’ll rest from sex can be up to a week. Some procedures involve only a small area, and they give you a high chance of being okay for sex after a few hours.
Inpatient surgery, on the other hand, means your recovery requires supervision. Since the surgical work may cover a larger area of your body, doctors may require you to abstain from sex from weeks to months.
2. The Kind of Operation
The length of time you’ll be off sex also depends on what part of your body the doctors operate on.
A woman who gives birth vaginally may need to lay off from sex for as long as a month.
3. How Surgery Might Affect Your Overall Physical Condition
Some surgeries may compromise your ability to have sex entirely. For example, if you go through a heart operation, your doctors might ask you to avoid physical exertion involving exercise and even sex.
Post-Op Sex Pain and You
You may encounter pain during sexual intercourse even after a break from sex. If there’s pain, it’s a signal you’re not fully healed and ready for making love just yet.
You can make adjustments in sexual positions to avoid pain. If you or your partner’s surgery involves the breast area, you can ask them to lay on their backs while having sex since bouncing may induce pain.
Sex After Surgery: What Sexual Play You Can Enjoy
Again, there are times when you’ll have to make adjustments on what kind of sex you’ll be having based on what surgical procedure you’ve undergone.
A woman who’s had a C-section may have to go for positions where she’ll be on top to keep the pressure away from her stomach.
People who’ve had colorectal surgery may need to take time off from anal sex.
Your surgeon or doctor can advise you on what sexual positions are safe, so you should approach them for advice after your operation.
Sex After Surgery Frequently Asked Questions
When Can I Have Sex After Prostate Surgery?
You may see action in bed again after prostate surgery after three to six weeks, depending on how fast you recuperate.
Prostate surgery may come with side effects like pain or erectile dysfunction long after the recovery period is over. You have to manage your expectations and work with your urologist so you can foresee what side effects you’ll encounter after your operation.
When Can I Have Sex After Hysterectomy Surgery?
Your gynecologist or your doctor may advise you to abstain from sex for a month to a month and a half. The recovery time allows for the wounds to heal and for any bleeding to stop.
Like prostate surgery, a hysterectomy may have physical and psychological side effects on your body that affect your readiness for sex. You should speak to your doctor to best manage these issues so you can go back to enjoying sex.
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How About Sex After Hernia Surgery?
Your rest period from sex after hernia surgery depends on where the herniated part is, your total physical conditioning, and if the doctors encountered no problems during the operation. Generally speaking, hernia patients stay off sex for at least a week since the anesthetic also affects their energy level.
Once you do return to sex, stop if you feel any pain. It means you’re not fully recovered yet.
Is Sex After Hip Replacement Possible?
Yes, you can have sex after hip replacement. Doctors may advise you to stay off sex for two months after the procedure.
When you have sex again, you need to make sure to be careful to avoid dislocating your hip bone during intercourse.
Can I Have Sex After Gallbladder Surgery?
Doctors will likely advise you to avoid sex for at least one to two weeks, depending on your condition.
You can test if you’re okay by driving with your seatbelt on and checking for discomfort. If you encounter any, you might need to rest more before attempting intercourse.
When Can I Have Sex After an Appendectomy?
Appendectomy patients may need to abstain from sex for five days if they went through laparoscopic surgery and up to two weeks or more if it’s an open procedure surgery. Once your staples or sutures come off and you feel no pain or discomfort, it’s a good signal to have sex again.
Can I Have Sex After Open-Heart Surgery?
You have to wait for as long as one and a half months to two months or more to let your breastbone heal before you can have sex again.
Again, your doctors may advise significant lifestyle changes like avoiding demanding physical activities that may include sex. This is because an increase in blood pressure may cause a heart issue or an attack.
You should speak with your cardiologist about having sex after open-heart surgery. Their intimate knowledge of your profile allows them to say if and when it’s safe for you to have sex again.
How Long After C-Section Can I Have Intercourse?
Women who’ve undergone a cesarean section have to wait for approximately six weeks before they can have sex. The sixth-week mark coincides with their postpartum check-up, and the doctor can tell if the wound has healed by that time.
Once the doctor says it’s okay, you can resume having sex with your partner.
There’s no shame about asking when you can have sex after surgery. It’s a green flag about other aspects of your physical and mental health, so curiosity about sexual intercourse during this time is a welcome sign to your doctors.
Have you gone through surgery? Were you able to have sex after your prescribed healing time? Give us your answers in the comments section below.
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