I just had a tummy tuck two weeks ago. Is it bad to sneeze? Would it hurt or damage my muscles?

Thank you for your question! For the first few weeks after having a tummy tuck procedure, it is recommended to splint your stomach with a pillow when coughing or sneezing to relieve some of the pressure and strain to the abdomen. Best of luck!

Thanks for the excellent question.The muscles are tightened and repaired during a tummy tuck. It usually takes 6 weeks before we believe the repair is rock solid.Sneezing two weeks after a tummy tuck will usually not hurt the repair. It will, however, cause pain. So if you think you are going to sneeze, grab on to a pillow and support your tummy as you sneeze. Your repair should be ok.Good Luck.

Sneezing can hurt, but under normal circumstances the muscle repair shouldn't be damaged. It's pretty hard to completely avoid sneezing though, so all you can do is try to minimize the sudden pressure put on your abdomen. I'd suggest sneezing with your mouth open and brace your stomach with a pillow. Hope that helps! 

The good news is that most sneezes or coughs shouldn’t be strong enough to do any serious damage to your abdominal muscles as you recover from your tummy tuck. That said, you might notice a tight or uncomfortable feeling during the sneeze, but this should subside fairly quickly. You can try placing a pillow against your abdomen to soften the blow, so to speak, when you feel a sneeze coming on. If you have pain that doesn’t go away shortly after a sneeze or notice any other concern during recovery, don’t hesitate to contact your plastic surgeon’s office.

I would be careful about that this early after tummy tuck.  A good technique is to wear your abdominal binder, and "hug yourself" if you cough, or keep a cough pillow near by and hug it when you sneeze.  It takes some of the pressure off the muscle repair.  You are not likely to do damage, but it will feel better if you do these maneuvers.