Exercising after DIEP flap surgery

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mitzi458
mitzi458 Member Posts: 64
edited July 2018 in Breast Reconstruction

I can’t get any info from my PS about much of anything. So I’m wondering if anyone has info on what kind of exercises we can do after having this surgery.

It’s been 10 weeks since my surgery and I really want to do some arms and abdominal exercises before I go in for my second surgery next week. Should we be able to do sit ups and push ups at this stage?

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  • Lula73
    Lula73 Member Posts: 1,824
    edited May 2018

    I’m a rower and I tried to row at 12 weeks and it was not good abdominally. I had to give it a rest. Perhaps some yoga or Pilates would be ok. Don’t push it though. What they stitched back together abdominally is skin and subcutaneous fat. And fat really doesn’t like stitches.

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  • TWills
    TWills Member Posts: 679
    edited May 2018

    My instructions were no weight bearing exercises that involved the abdomen for 3 months. 6 or 8 weeks for arms but start slow. I’m in PT now and they recommended to same thing.

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  • parachutes
    parachutes Member Posts: 39
    edited May 2018

    TWills,

    At what week did you start PT? Once or twice a week. I had to beg for PT last time. This time I will be a little more demanding

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  • Runrcrb
    Runrcrb Member Posts: 577
    edited May 2018

    Mitzi, my surgeon told me to take it easy for the first 4 weeks and then told me do what I felt like doing. I saw a physical therapist at 4 weeks to assess range of motion and any areas of concern - all was balanced and she told me that it would just take time and work for endurance and strength to come back. I was walking for an hour by 4 weeks, added swimming at 5 weeks and have progressed to running 4 miles. Added weights and core work about a month ago having done a little bit of body weight work in March.

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  • TWills
    TWills Member Posts: 679
    edited May 2018

    Parachutes, I started at about 5 weeks out although I should have started sooner. I had frozen shoulder surgery a few weeks before DIEP and I had to start back to PT ASAP so it wouldn’t freeze up again. She helps me with my scars and other range of motion too though.

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  • parachutes
    parachutes Member Posts: 39
    edited July 2018

    TWills, Runrcrb, did they work your abdomen in PT or was it just for range of motion? What kind of excercises did they do for your abdomen? I see a PT end of the week but truthfully I still feel very tender like it may be too soon.

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  • TWills
    TWills Member Posts: 679
    edited July 2018

    No PT for abdomen for me, I went for my shoulder. She did show me how to work out any tightness in my abdominal scar but that’s it for that area. I was told no exercising that strained the abdomen for 12 weeks minimum.

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