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Hernia, after surgery when can you start physical activity again?

January 1, 2018

 

A discomfort that can force athletes to rest is abdominal hernia, for example in the inguinal region. The treatment of this disorder is only of surgical type, with a post-operative course favourable for patients and which can allow them to get back to physical activity. But after how long? And with what precautions? We asked Dr. Stefano Bona, head of the general surgery and day surgery section of the Humanitas General Surgery and Digestive Surgery Unit.

 

As already known, the hernia is characterized by a leakage through an orifice of a viscera contained in the abdomen. Hernia can occur in different regions of the body, more often in the inguinal canal, due to the subsidence of supporting tissues. Physical activity is one of the factors that can contribute to the onset of abdominal hernia and induce discomfort or pain in the affected area. It is easy to notice the swelling that signals the presence of the hernia after exercising or standing upright while it becomes much less evident when lying down.

 

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Surgery is the only form of definitive treatment for this disorder as it cannot resolve spontaneously. Should the patient stop doing physical activity while waiting for the surgery? ‘For patients with asymptomatic abdominal hernia – answers Dr. Bona – physical activity is not precluded. If, on the other hand, the hernia causes some discomfort, it is advisable to take some precautions, such as for example avoiding efforts that heavily engage the abdominal muscles and use an elastic garment. It is necessary to abstain from physical activity if the hernia causes pain’.

 

 

A few weeks of rest

‘After surgery, it is necessary to have a period of abstention from efforts and physical activity in order to allow the net to integrate perfectly and to heal tissues. For those who practice sports at an amateur level, we generally recommend a period of rest of 4-6 weeks and then gradually restart physical activity; physiotherapy is not necessary. For athletes of competitive level and professionals, who need a faster recovery, the training can be started after two weeks, as long as it is carried out with dedicated exercises under strict control of the sports medical staff, physiotherapists and expert athletic trainers’.

 

 

Do you have to follow other precautions, in order to avoid recurrence of the problem? ‘The usual daily activities can be restarted within a few days. It is only necessary to avoid efforts, with the above indications regarding sports activity. With the most modern techniques, which involve the use of a synthetic net, the risk of recurrence is very low (around 1-2%)’, concludes the specialist.

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