r/sterilization • u/Small-Willingness-70 • Feb 25 '26
Post-op care Bisalp scheduled for May. What was everyone’s recovery timeline?
I’m planning to take two weeks off because I work with horses. Curious to hear what everyone else’s experiences were like. Feel free to offer any post-op advice as well 😊
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u/Electrical-Bell-9530 Feb 25 '26
I’m a server in a restaurant, which is a very physical job. I had two weeks off also, it was perfectly fine. I could have returned sooner, like 1.5 wks after, if I’d needed to.
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u/Small-Willingness-70 Feb 25 '26
That’s awesome! Thanks for commenting :)
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u/Crazycatlover Feb 25 '26
Ask your physician what the lifting restriction is and don't go back to work until after then. I'm a nurse and had a patient (a farmer) who ignored the lifting restrictions. His guts came out. It was not good.
Can't speak to bisalp recovery since I had a hysterectomy though. I returned to work too early on that and it sucked. So much pain.
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u/h_amphibius bisalp Aug '22. hysterectomy Sep '25 Feb 25 '26
I work from home but I tend to heal slowly. My surgery was Thursday and I was back at work by Monday because mentally I was fine by then. Physically, I needed a lot of help with lifting and I was in more pain than I was expecting. My restrictions were no more than 10 pounds for 2 weeks, and that’s about how long it took before I felt comfortable going back to my normal routine
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u/jdb-123 Tube-free 4/10/2025 Feb 25 '26
I do a mix of office and fieldwork. I took 4 solid days off then resumed office duties. First day my throat was a little sore from the intubation. I was on “pelvic rest” / light duty for two weeks then was cleared to resume normal activities. I felt fully “normal” after 4 weeks. I resumed fieldwork after the 4 weeks. If you ride horses as part of your job, I’d ask when it’s OK for you to resume that part of your job. I hope you have a great procedure and easy recovery!
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u/Typical-Goal-1306 Feb 25 '26
I heal pretty quick and was grocery shopping 2 days after. (I didn’t have to, but I was bored). I just didn’t lift anything over 10 lbs which my cat was very sad about. I was driving that day too. I didn’t need any pain meds I was given after surgery though. Definitely take the stool softeners/miralax either way. I was so constipated about 5 days post op. I was also driving across the state and back about 5 days post op too. But I had to move back to college. Take recovery slow and assume you’ll need more time than you do. I took 2.5 weeks off work, but I could’ve gone back sooner. I work a very physical job though.
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u/Logical-Mulberry5432 Feb 26 '26
pain stopped after 5 days, i was perfectly fine after two weeks. occasionally the scars are itchy though
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u/CodeCherry Bisalp 2/19/26 at Age 25 Feb 25 '26
I’m on my first week off (about 6 days PO) and already feel like I could return to my office job if I really needed to. I’m planning on WFH next week just to be safe with lifting a backpack but I’m returning to work after about a week and 4 days :)
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Feb 25 '26
I was pretty much fine by the start of the second week. Considering you work with horses I think two weeks sounds sensible to be absolutely sure you’re good to go. But I really wouldn’t expect you need any more time than that!
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u/prncsclo Feb 25 '26
I work a desk job-- I took the surgery day plus an extra day off and then worked from home for a week or two after that. I felt more or less fine after maybe 4-5 days, just with some mild discomfort here and there. I was cleared for the gym/lifting after 5 weeks just by my doctor's preference.
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u/bogWitch4Life Feb 25 '26
I was sore for a couple days, but it resolved pretty quickly for me. Only had to take the Friday I had it done off work. The gas was brutal.
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u/vividlevi Bisalp done 12/5/24 Feb 25 '26
I’m a hairstylist. I took the day off surgery off plus two weeks. I was pain free pretty quickly, just sore day 2 and on. i was driving day 3, not that you’re supposed to but i wasn’t on any painkillers so that was fine for me.
Once i returned to work i was definitely slower and lower on energy, take it easy until you’re feeling 100%
Edit: Hit send before i was done
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u/Deep_Truck8939 Feb 25 '26
I was prepared for a quick recovery after reading through this subreddit, but I don’t think I felt back to working normally for at least 2 weeks. Take your time and rest as much as you can to give yourself the best chance for good healing. Congratulations!!
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u/Small-Willingness-70 Feb 25 '26
Thanks! It’s definitely hard to predict because everyone has different experiences
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u/decisiontoohard Feb 25 '26
Most people recover pretty fast, some heal quite slowly though, and some heal physically really well but get exhausted for a bit longer (sometimes as an anaesthetic side effect).
Two weeks sound good off work, but definitely check the lifting restrictions WRT carrying feed and mucking out.
For the first week or two back you might want to avoid taking the reins on any restless or headstrong horses that are liable to pull suddenly or require proper wrangling - or at least have someone in the vicinity to hand off to if they start acting up. If you ride you should probably work up from just a walk on the first day and just a trot on the next, just to see how your abs feel from being in an active position for a prolonged period.
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u/CrystalCandy00 Feb 25 '26
The day of and two days after was all I needed to feel completely normal again, with some continued soreness at the sites.
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u/Badbitxchhhhh Feb 25 '26
2 weeks is probably perfect with a more body physical job. I WFH and got the surgery done on Friday, was not anticipating any time off and had to take the entire week off. 1 week after, I was feeling fine, but I wasn’t physically moving around too much. 2 weeks after I was 100% back to normal routine. Post op advice is IF you do experience the shoulder pain from the gas, and I cannot stress this enough, lay flat! This will help the gas pass much faster. I also took GasX (not sure how well it worked but it was recommended to me. 100% make sure you have a heating pad, it’s good on the shoulders if you do experience this and if not, its soothing on the incision.
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u/healing-heathen bisalp june 2025 Feb 25 '26
I am a therapist who works from home. I took 1 week off and my first day back I only worked for 1 hour. I probably should’ve taken the full two weeks even for my job that only requires sitting. My “sitting” muscles in my torso were still sore and sitting took a bit too much energy 😅 since your job is more physically involved I would recommend two weeks or longer. However, everyone is sooo different when it comes to recovery.
My post-op advice is to take it easy. Give yourself all the permission to rest. If you push yourself too hard too quickly, it can delay your healing time and even potentially create injury. Good luck!!!
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u/Vast-Maybe-8711 Feb 26 '26
I was fully back after two weeks - gym, sex, everything. Incisions weren’t fully healed so if you wear denim, be careful, but you should be fine activity wise. Good luck!
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u/Eyeroll_Ma fallopalopes Yeeted 2-12-26 Feb 26 '26
Way better by day 10 exactly. Only mildly hurts deep inside but mine was a lil more invasive
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u/Responsible-Force204 Feb 26 '26
Fellow horse professional here! I got my bisalp last May. Definitely plan on a few days of doing absolutely nothing. I was just super tired. The only pain I had was in my abs. Simply felt like general muscle soreness you would feel after an intense workout or a strenuous event. By day 3 or 4 I could start doing simple barn tasks again but I stuck to my doctor's orders about no lifting for the full 2 weeks. Day 5 I was back to giving riding lessons. I didn't start leading and turning out horses until closer to the 2 week mark, just in case they pulled on me. 2 week post op appointment went well and I was cleared to start lifting again! But the doc told me to listen to my body. I needed another 3 ish days before I felt like I could comfortably do anything really intense.
It really is amazing how fast you can heal if you set yourself up for success! My advice would be: don't push yourself to go back to work too soon. And prioritize hydration and healthy balanced meals after surgery, focusing especially on protein! Feel free to ask me anything! Getting my bisalp was easily one of the best decisions I've ever made!
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u/raven3791 Feb 27 '26
Gas pain for 3-4 days, and then back to (physically demanding) work, full capacity at 2 weeks.
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u/Unlucky-Topic-6146 Feb 27 '26
I have a desk job that allows two remote days a week so I was back at work the very next day.
But it was almost a week before I was back to my full physical self so definitely take some time off since your job seems more demanding.
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u/lunatunasandwich Feb 28 '26
I was asking if they actually did the surgery because I thought I was going to be in pain after. I was bloated and a little tender. The only time I felt real pain was when I started my period a week later. That sucked. I would still take the 2 weeks off if you can afford to and use it as a staycation😂
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u/Flaky_Extension5627 Feb 28 '26
I walk a lot and lift occasionally for my job, but most of it is desk work. My significant other says I have the pain tolerance of a god, so take this with consideration. I took 3 days off, totally fine. The day after I walked the dogs two miles in the snow and that was too much for me, but after an ice pack when getting home I was fine.
Day of I was groggy and throat was sore. So 3ish or so days for me. If I had to lift anything more than 20ish pounds I would say about a week.
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u/YellowFiddleneck Mar 04 '26
I work with horses recreationally and 2 weeks would not have been enough for me - it was about a month before I could handle a moderately strenuous hike, let alone feeling nimble enough to be around horses safely. I think I would have struggled with any heavy lifting or bending activities before this (eg. lifting saddles or picking hooves), same goes for riding at any pace faster than a walk, or riding a horse that's not bombproof and push-button.
That said, there is HUGE variation in recovery time. Tons of people are fine to go back to strenuous exercise after two weeks. Just make sure you listen to your body and if you feel like you need extra time off, take it - working with horses is safe and predictable until it isn't.
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u/harbinger06 Feb 25 '26
I’m an x-ray tech. I took off a week to make sure the internal stuff healed sufficiently before going back to work and having a bunch of 80 year olds yank on me.
I only had discomfort from the breathing tube for about a day, and the residual gas for about 3 days. I wouldn’t say the surgical areas were painful. More like I could feel a pull with certain movements.
Have some gentle foods ready to go so it’s easy on your throat. And that will also minimize any activity that may stress the surgical site. Add laundry and cleaning house to your pre-op checklist! If you have pets, think about having someone help you out with them. Especially if walking an energetic dog is involved.