What happens if I laugh or cough post-op? Will it affect my stitches?

Laughing or sneezing in the first five days after surgery does not cause any problems with your stitches. However, I do not recommend heavy sports, cycling, long-term walking.

Most are not laughing after a vaginoplasty and perineoplasty! When muscles are put back together, it is definitely uncomfortable and laughing is the last thing my patients are doing. But any excessive straining such as deep coughing, lifting, straining can have an impact of the stitches and the muscles and tissue it surrounds and tear can happen. The one thing I find very helpful in recovery immediately after a vaginoplasty is having soft bowel movements and avoiding constipation at all cost. The recovery is smoother and the end results are very much loved.

Short answer: nothing will happen. Long answer: heavy straining or lifting that is frequent and prolonged will put serious stress on the muscles that were sutured and might cause loosening of freshly stitched scars. Laughing and coughing are neither of these.

Thank you for your questionHard coughing can affect the urethral and bladder repair sutures but it rarely occurs. Otherwise you are safe