Can I exercise after one week after surgery?

I have noticed that activity and exercise after surgery is a very important part of a normal, fast and easy recovery.  Those who sit around the house, anxious to not let anyone see them, staring in the mirror all day, seem to have the most physical and mental difficulties with the recovery.  After seeing this for many years, I have modified my post-surgery activity restrictions to both speed the physical and mental recovery and reduce complications.  This is true for most surgical procedures done in my office:No heavy exercise, exertion, sweating for the first weekLight exercise without sweating during the second weekReturn to full and normal activity after two weeks from surgery datePatients are instructed to get out of the house, go for a drive (as a passenger), walk around the neighborhood, etc… Just don't sit around the house watching TV and doing nothing.  It makes the recovery much more difficult. 

This depends to a great degree on the surgeon preference, surgery performed and how quickly you appear to be healing. I release most patients to exercise as early as one week following surgery. However, you should pose this question to your surgeon to ensure that this is safe for you. I hope this information is helpful for you.Stephen Weber MD, FACSDenver Facial Plastic Surgeon

This question is best for your surgeon because each surgeon will have a different recommendation based on their specific technique in treating your eyelids.  I usually allow patients to return to full activity 1 week after surgery when I have removed their sutures.  As long as the incision is intact at that point, there should be no harm to the eyelids.  With that said however, I advise patients to take it easy at first and to listen to their bodies to gradually reintroduce strenuous exercise.  Wish you a speedy recovery!

It's great that you are exercising, but in general, you do want to take it easy for the first 5-7 days after eyelid surgery. The reason surgeons ask patients not to exercise during that first week, is that it increases the risk of bruising, swelling and bleeding behind the eyes. All patients get bruised and swollen after eyelid surgery, but bleeding behind the eyes is a potentially serious complication that we are all trying to avoid. In healthy patients who don't have high blood pressure and aren't taking blood thinners, the risk of that issue decreases dramatically after about a week. So that is why we say you can resume exercise at that point. Of course, you should discuss this with your surgeon, because each patient has different medical conditions and even over-the-counter medications like Advil and MultiVitamins can affect bleeding. 

You should follow your surgeon's post op instructions. Different surgeons follow different protocols and there is variability depending on the procedure.

I recommend that my patients engage in light activity the day after surgery. Returning to your normal exercise routine may be determined specifically by your surgeon, however I would suggest allowing 1-2 weeks until returning to physical activity.

This is definitely a question I would ask your plastic surgeon as everyone has different post-op instructions and their reasons for them. Good luck, Dean Vistnes.