When can I resume sexual activities after panniculectomy? (Photo)

Thank you for your question regarding when it is safe to resume sexual activities after a panniculectomy. It’s great to hear that you haven’t had any complications or pain. In general, most plastic surgeons recommend waiting at least 4 to 6 weeks after a panniculectomy before resuming sexual activities. This gives your body enough time to heal properly and minimizes the risk of disrupting your recovery.

Even though you are feeling good at 17 days post-op, it's important to remember that your incisions and internal healing are still in progress. Resuming sexual activity too early could put stress on your abdomen, which may lead to complications like opening the incision, infection, or delayed healing.

That said, every patient heals differently, so I recommend you check with your plastic surgeon for specific guidance based on your individual recovery. If you’ve been healing without issues, your surgeon can give you a more personalized timeline.

In the meantime, it’s great that you’re being cautious, and continuing to do so will help ensure the best results from your surgery.

Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen

I'm glad to hear that you are doing well, and that you're healing nicely. When to start sexual activities is a personal decision, and depends on a lot of factors - how well you're healing, how you're feeling overall, how sore you are. In general, it's likely best (and easier!) to wait until all drains are removed and until you're back to about 80-90% of your baseline. You have a large incision and it needs time to heal. Most PS would likely recommend anywhere between 4-6 weeks after surgery. Best of luck! 

Congratulations on your recent surgery!  It is most important that you give your wounds time to heal.  Partaking in sexual activity to soon after surgery can lead wound healing issues and infection.  At 17 days, your incisions should be healing well, which decreases the risk of these complications.  I would recommend giving your physician a call to see what their opinion is on the matter, they did your surgery and are much more familiar with your case.