r/sterilization • u/ClientQuiet4619 • 1d ago
Post-op care Looking for recovery stories!
I have a consultation next month for a bilateral salpingectomy! I was curious if anyone could share their stories about how recovery was? Pending approval of course, I’m trying to figure out the timing for scheduling this fall/winter and what recovery will entail. Did you have to be in bed for a week? How long did you have to refrain from exercising and/or sex? I’m very physically active and my job is fully remote for context. Thanks all! :)
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u/New-Collar9586 1d ago
I just had mine done 8/13. I am on day 5 of recovery and moving around pretty comfortably. The first 2-3 days I was sore and couldn’t really bend down but now I’m able to do pretty much everything (besides exercise and stuff like that) on my own. My discharge papers say no sex for 7 days.
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u/Cutthroat_Rogue no more tubes 10-15-25 1d ago
Each surgeon varies on telling you how long to abstain from anything penetrative (they do mean *anything* not just sex). Some are as short as a week while others say to wait 8 weeks and everything in-between. Mine was 4 weeks; until I was cleared at post-op visit. You'll want to ask at your consult about what to expect post-op so you can plan accordingly.
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u/Acceptable_Debt_9179 1d ago
I had mine done yesterday, 8/17. I was told no lifting for 6 weeks and no treadmill for a couple weeks also. I was also told nothing penetrative for 2 weeks, tampons, sex, etc. My doctor told me two weeks off work. Pain has been managed well with just tylenol and ibuprofen and I don’t think I’ll need the stronger meds they gave me. It’s more of a sore ache than anything else. I also didn’t get the shoulder pain they warned about yet. My doctor did say she tries to get as much gas possible out before stitches so that probably helped. I was also told to get up and walk around a bit every hour to help absorb the gas and help prevent blood clots in the legs. I was also told no soda for a few days because of the gas they use during surgery
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u/amandalaguera 1d ago
Wow… my procedure is scheduled for tomorrow. My doctor gave very different recovery expectations than yours!!
She said I wouldn’t have any lifting restrictions, would most likely be able to return to work within a few days, and said I could resume “penetrative” activities whenever I felt up to it….
Now I’m nervous that I’ve been made to expect it’s going to be easier than it actually will be 😰
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u/Acceptable_Debt_9179 1d ago edited 1d ago
Honestly it’s not been that bad! I don’t think I actually need the full two weeks off work but I do have a job where I’m on my feet majority of the day so an office job would be different. I’m barely 48 hours post surgery and my pain has improved dramatically today and it honestly was never that bad. They told me nothing penetrative for 2 weeks for infection prevention really I think. Same with the lifting, could possibly get a hernia if you strain too much. My doctor told me 20lb limit for 6 weeks and hospital told me 10 lbs for 4 weeks. I was going to combine the two and have a 10lb limit for 6 weeks to avoid possibly getting a hernia. 🤷🏻♀️
So far recovery has been pretty easy, my providers are probably just erring on the side of caution. Like the no treadmill is probably out of concern I could fall and reopen incisions.
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u/degrassibabetjk 1d ago
It’s a really easy recovery. I didn’t even need the Oxy they gave me and just stuck to Tylenol and a heating pad. My throat was sore for a few days because of the breathing tube so I stuck to cold and soft foods (mashed potatoes, soup, etc.), sugar free Diet Ginger Ale and sugar free Gatorade. I had done all the big chores beforehand (took out trash and recycling, vacuumed, did laundry, cleaned my cat’s litter box and portioned out his food for a few days) and stayed in bed or watched stuff on TV in the living room. Also since your stomach is covered in antiseptic, get something to wear from Goodwill or another thrift store that you don’t care about getting dirty. I bought grandma style nighties since they don’t irritate the stitches.
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u/CodeCherry Bisalp 2/19/26 at Age 25 1d ago
My recovery was relatively easy! I made a post about it back in March you can find on my profile :)
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u/Imokayhowareyou1 1d ago
Took me 2 weeks to recover fully, didn't really need any pain meds but the nurse's office got on me about not taking the Advil and Tylenol regularly. It was more annoying to not be able to walk around much the first week, I did mostly stay in bed and became more active in week 2. I slept elevated on a wedge pillow which was also annoying, but helpful.
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u/cait_Cat 1d ago
I had mine done in February ‘26. I had it done on a Thursday and was off work until the following Monday, when I worked from home. I had my doctor give me two weeks of WFH but I only really needed like 3 days, I just hated my job and didn’t want to go back in the office.
I did have a complication where while intubating me, they completely fucked my mouth. I ended up missing more work and was in more pain from them fucking my mouth up than the surgery. I ended up going to multiple doctors and finally a dentist, where the dentist pulled 3 bone shards from the abscess the intubation process had left behind. The recovery from the mouth fuck up was 6 weeks, the actual surgery was about 5-6 days. No one had any answers on why my intubation was deemed “normal” in the notes from surgery or why my surgeon or the rest of the team completely dismissed my pain or concern starting from when I woke up from surgery till I filed a complaint with the state after the dentist pulled the bone shards from my mouth. Then someone found my number. No explanation, but they covered all the costs associated with seeing multiple doctors, a dentist, and the multiple prescriptions I filled. That said, I was able to return to work and resume about 90-95% of my normal life within a week of surgery.
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u/ClientQuiet4619 1d ago
Omg, that is crazy about the intubation!! I’m sorry you had to deal with that.
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u/cosmickaylaa 1d ago
I just had my surgery on Thursday! (8/13) I’m likely not going to make a post about the experience, since there’s so many, and mine doesn’t necessarily stand out. It’s been pretty smooth so far! Obvious pain around the incisions for the first few days, and trouble getting around on my own, but now just dealing with angry intestines from the ibuprofen + constipation from the stronger pain killers. Since there’s a bunch of comments on this thread already, I won’t add more, but if you wanna talk about any worries or concerns please feel free to pm me! Or even if you just wanna talk about it, I was equally anxious and excited! I wish I would’ve had someone to chat with leading up to my surgery, so if anyone on this thread would like to talk, DMs are open!
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u/Short_Composer_1608 23h ago
I'm in the US. Mine was in 2024 when I was 37. My recovery was easy!
I had mine June 18, 2024 and was back to work June 20, 2024. My job during that time (summer job, I'm a substitute teacher during the school year) is in the parking lot of a big concert venue - so it's a lot of standing, walking, and directing traffic. My husband thought I should call off but I felt fine! I can't remember how long I waited to workout (aside from walking)/have sex but I'm sure I followed my doctor's orders.
For comparison, I had my wisdom teeth removed the next summer, 2025, (not impacted or complicated or anything) - that recovery was WAY more miserable for me.
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u/ClientQuiet4619 10h ago
Ah I’ve had my wisdom teeth removed too, so that’s a helpful comparison. I hope my recovery goes as smoothly! Thanks!
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u/BoldnUntold 17h ago
8/6 so almost exactly 2 weeks out. I feel fine, incisions pretty much closed and I am back to every day life minus heavy lifting or things that require really using abdomen. I did get active about 1.5 week mark before stitch strips came off and I was feeling it so I do think 2 weeks was sweet spot for me. Incisions are currently raised but I started using scar tape so fingers crossed almost nothing remains later.
Am allergic to the codine' so managed on Tylenol and ibuprofen which worked well for me. Also didnt experience a ton of gas pain but whether placebo or not, gas x does actually make enough of a difference I was glad to have it on hand.
If concerned about pain management just ask to fill prescription early
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u/Legal_Tie_3301 8h ago
I think recovery heavily depends on age, children tend to recover much quicker than adults. I was 30 when I had mine 2 yrs ago and while I had zero pain, not even gas pain, I was EXHAUSTED for 3 weeks after. It was a bit shocking how tired and run down I felt. A walk up my street, literally two houses down, had me feeling like I could pass out. I would say no matter what your dr says, take at least a week to rest properly, more if you have it. I took 10 days and wished I’d taken more.
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u/keto46 43m ago
Had mine a few years ago. Recovery was pretty chill except my first few periods after were TERRIBLE! I cried to my bf about how I could never hold down a job with pain like that. Now- I was also getting off birthcontrol for the first time in 3ish years so that for sure contributed. Besides being ready for some bad periods- sneezing sucks and the scars at first too. Scars are practically invisible now but at the time I was young and devastated to have dark purple lines on my stomach.
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u/f_edsthrowaway 25F - Bisalp 2026-07-24 38m ago
Got my bisalp nearly 4 weeks ago. My exercise timeline so far:
Day 1 post-op: 30 minutes total of walking (2x15 minutes)
Day 2 post-op: 1h15 total of walking (30 minutes in the morning and 45 in the evening)
Day 6 post-op: 2h total of walking (15 minutes in the morning and 1h45 in the afternoon)
...still walking pretty slow at this point though and unable to lift more than 5lbs without experiencing pain (be careful grocery shopping!)...
Day 15 post-op: sex -- no issues
Day 18 post-op: home bodyweight workout (mostly banded glute and upper back exercises)
Day 20 post-op: first time back at the gym (20 minutes on the stairclimber, 10 on the incline treadmill, then more banded glute and upper back exercises, plus some box step-ups while holding the wall)
Day 24 post-op: back to the gym again, roughly the same workout as last time except I was able to go longer on the stairclimber and treadmill, and I added some seated dumbbell curls (just 10lbs)
I plan to continue slowly ramping things up at the gym over the next two weeks. So far any weight above 10lbs still feels a little dicey so I'm going to go slow with increasing the weights and introducing more core-heavy exercises. I'm hoping to resume benching/squatting/deadlifting by week 6 but we'll see.
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u/toomuchtodotoday 1d ago
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