Tummy tuck and sexual activity

Question

I had a tummy tuck a couple years ago but 6 weeks after it I had sexual activity and had an orgasm. I noticed a feeling of pressure/contracting in the abdomen when it happened (twice) would that affect the muscle repair?

Ira H. Rex III, MD · Answer

I do not believe it would affect the repair in any way.  You can put that out of your mind. I hope you are enjoying your tummy tuck!

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello, and thank you for your question regarding muscle repair and post-surgical activity following your tummy tuck. Congratulations on your recovery and for seeking clarity about your experience.

Having sexual activity, including orgasms, six weeks after your tummy tuck is generally considered safe as long as you’ve followed your surgeon’s instructions and were cleared for normal activities. By the six-week mark, the initial phase of healing, including the muscle repair, is usually well underway. While you may have felt pressure or contracting in the abdomen during those moments, this is a normal physiological response. It is highly unlikely that this would have affected your muscle repair or caused any damage, especially if you didn’t experience significant pain or noticeable changes afterward.

The sutures used to repair your rectus muscles during a tummy tuck are typically permanent and designed to hold securely as the muscles heal together. Minor discomfort, tightness, or pulling sensations can occur during various activities, even months post-surgery, but this doesn’t necessarily indicate any harm to the repair.

If you’ve had no ongoing issues like abdominal bulging, pain, or weakness since those events, your muscle repair was likely unaffected. However, if you ever develop concerns or symptoms related to your tummy tuck, such as persistent discomfort or changes in the contour of your abdomen, a follow-up with your plastic surgeon would be the best course of action.

I hope this reassures you about your muscle repair and helps address your concerns. Wishing you continued confidence and satisfaction with your results!

Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen

Daniel Careaga, MD · Answer

The concern for any strong contraction of the abdominal muscles after a tummy tuck of course is that the repair of the abdominal muscle diastasis could be damaged. After having performed over 8000 tummy tucks, I have only had one patient have their muscle repair damaged from a fit of severe sneezing and this occurred about one week after surgery. By three weeks, the repair on the muscles is considered to be well healed. I allow my patience to resume sexual activity at this time. It would be incredibly unusual to have damage to the abdominal muscle repair six weeks after surgery. In addition, you most likely would have felt a significant pop in the abdomen and a recurrence of the bulging.

Emmanuel Mallol Cotes, MD · Answer

Thanks so much for your inquire, It's understandable to be concerned about your muscle repair following a tummy tuck, especially if you experienced abdominal pressure during orgasm shortly after surgery

The pressure or contracting you felt during the orgasm may have caused some strain but is unlikely to have caused significant damage if it happened only a couple of times. Most well-performed muscle repairs can withstand occasional mild strain.

If the muscle repair was affected, you might notice:
Persistent abdominal bulging or a feeling of looseness in the abdomen, A visible separation (diastasis recti) returning in the abdominal area, Ongoing discomfort or weakness in the abdominal muscles.

If you don’t have these symptoms, your muscle repair is likely intact.

Sincerely, 
Dr. Emmanuel Mallol

Robert M. Wald, Jr., MD · Answer

Performing any strenuous activity within 3 months following a tummy tuck, could potentially affect the healing of the muscle repair. At 2 years, everything should be well healed. If you have any pain or notice any bulging in the abdomen, I would see your doctor.

Connie Hiers, MD, FACS · Answer

No, your repair is well healed, but you may be feeling some pressure some the scar tissue as you move.

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

At six weeks post op patients are generally cleared to resume sexual activity.  Contractions that may occur associated with orgasm will not impact your muscle repair nor your results.  You are still healing so these temporary contracting sensations are not uncommon.  I hope that helps.

Scott C. Lindsay, DO · Answer

Thanks for your question! I'm sure your muscle repair is just fine. It will take some getting used to, but I doubt you damaged it. Good luck moving forward!

James Knoetgen, III, MD · Answer

It's understandable to have concerns about the effects of abdominal muscle contractions after a tummy tuck, especially after muscle repair. Here’s what you should know:
1.	Abdominal Muscle Repair and Healing: After a tummy tuck with muscle repair (diastasis recti correction), the abdominal muscles and connective tissues are sutured together to restore their natural positioning. This area requires time to heal fully, typically 6-8 weeks.
2.	Effect of Sexual Activity: Sexual activity, including orgasm, can involve involuntary contractions of the abdominal muscles. These contractions may cause some temporary pressure or discomfort but are unlikely to undo muscle repair once the primary healing phase (6 weeks) is complete. By this stage, most sutures and tissues are stable.
3.	Pressure Sensation: The sensation of pressure or contracting you experienced is normal and could be due to the healing tissues being stretched or activated. It doesn't necessarily indicate damage but rather a response from the healing muscles and surrounding tissue.
4.	Signs of Concern: If you had experienced sharp pain, noticeable swelling, bulging, or prolonged discomfort after the incident, those could have been signs of strain or a complication. Since this happened years ago and you haven't mentioned ongoing issues, it's unlikely that there was any significant impact on the repair.
If you're still concerned or noticing any unusual symptoms now, it's always a good idea to consult your surgeon. They can assess your results and address any lingering worries.

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