Sneezing or Coughing After Tummy Tuck

The pain after a tummy tuck can vary due to many factors depending on the extent of the procedure. In many instances it can take up to 3-6 months before the vast majority of the tenderness or pain resolves. At six weeks the proliferative phase of wound healing is complete and you are now entering the maturation phase which is associated with relaxation of the scar tissue and generally diminished discomfort.

Hello Angeella in Jackson, MS. Thank you for reaching out with your concerns about experiencing pain when sneezing or coughing six weeks after your tummy tuck.

It’s quite normal to feel discomfort or pain in your abdominal area when sneezing or coughing after a tummy tuck, especially within the first few weeks or even months post-surgery. This reaction is due to the tightening of the abdominal muscles that occurs during the procedure, as well as the healing incisions.

Duration of Discomfort:

Typically, most patients find that this type of discomfort diminishes significantly as they approach the 8-12 week mark post-surgery. However, everyone heals at a different pace, and the timeline can vary based on individual factors such as the extent of the surgery, your age, general health, and how your body heals.
Why It Hurts:

When you sneeze or cough, there is a sudden and forceful contraction of the abdominal muscles, which can cause pain if these muscles are still healing or are tender from the surgery.
Tips to Manage Discomfort:

Hold a Pillow: Applying gentle pressure can help. Try holding a pillow against your abdomen when you feel a sneeze or cough coming on. This support can reduce the movement of your abdominal muscles, easing the pain.
Avoid Sudden Movements: Try to move slowly and support your abdomen with your hands when changing positions or getting up.
Manage Allergies: Since your sneezing is due to allergies, it might be beneficial to consult with your doctor about taking an antihistamine or other allergy medication to control your symptoms and reduce the frequency of sneezing.
When to Consult Your Surgeon:

If the pain during sneezing or coughing worsens, or if you notice other symptoms such as fever, unusual swelling, or redness around the incision site, it's important to contact your surgeon. These could be signs of a complication that needs medical attention.
Follow-Up:

Ensure that you continue with your scheduled follow-up appointments with your surgeon. During these visits, discuss any ongoing pain or concerns you have about activities that involve your core muscles.
Recovery from a tummy tuck is a gradual process, and it's essential to give your body time to heal properly. Most patients find that as the weeks go by, activities that initially caused discomfort, like sneezing or coughing, become much more manageable.

I hope you find relief soon and continue to recover smoothly. If you have any more concerns or if the pain becomes severe, do not hesitate to reach out to your healthcare provider.

Sincerely,

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FASMBS, FICS
Plastic Surgeon

With any chest or abdominal surgery, any straining will cause significant pain. Anything that causes you to strain your abdomen such as coughing and sneezing will be uncomfortable, potenitally for several months.  You want to avoid these as much as possible.  The best way to handle this is by firmly holding the belly with your hands or pillow and push down when you cough or sneeze.

A large percentage of the pressure that’s necessary for a
forceful cough or sneeze comes from contraction of the abdominal muscles.
Unfortunately, in the post-operative period coughing and sneezing are often associated
with significant pain.In the
post-operative period the abdominal muscle closure has regained most of its
pre-operative strength in about six weeks. Despite this coughing can still
result in significant pain because scarring, swelling and inflammation from the
healing process.It
would be unusual for coughing and sneezing to disrupt the abdominal muscle
closure six weeks following surgery. However, pain associated with coughing and
sneezing may last for three to six months following surgery.For
this reason, we generally recommend that patients splint their abdominal
muscles whenever they’re sneezing or coughing. When this approach is utilized,
pain is minimized and patients are more comfortable in the post-operative
period.

Hi there-
After 6 weeks, your wounds (both on the surface and at the level of your muscle repair) should be very strong, and the risk of inadvertently tearing your stitches and damaging your outcome should be very low. This accounts for the safety of releasing patients from most activity restrictions at 6 weeks.
The pain you feel when you cough or sneeze (as well as with certain bending or twisting movements) is most likely due to stretching of the scar tissue your body has formed under the skin that occurs with these movements.
Unlike healthy skin and tissues, scar tissue is firm and inflexible, so any movement that requires it to "give" a little will cause you a bit of pain until the scar has reached a level of maturity, which takes months...
You can help this along by performing slow stretching exercises, as in yoga. In any case, the sensations usually resolve on their own after about 6 months, so it shouldn't be a long term problem for you.