Blog

If you’re considering lap band surgery as an option to lose weight and to meet your goal of improved fitness, recovery time is one of the first questions typically asked. The answer? It depends on the individual person, of course, but in general recovery time is between and four and eight days to be back to feeling your best.

While you can technically be back at work as soon as the day after surgery, we highly recommend that you don’t. You may or not feel like it, first of all, but even if you do, your body needs an opportunity to rest and recover. No matter how minor, any type of surgery has an effect on your body. If possible, allow for a leisurely recovery time, and then you can always return to work earlier if you feel good.

Time off to relax and recover is important for many reasons. First, relaxation allows your incision an ample opportunity to heal. Second, you may feel discomfort initially and then soreness for a few days after, although the amount may vary greatly from person to person. Some people don’t feel discomfort at all, while others need a longer recovery time to feel better at the incision site. Third, you may feel week from dietary limitations both before surgery and after surgery. And finally, we ask for you to not shower for a day or so to minimize the possibility of an infection at the incision site. Not showering gives you some extra time to recover and just “chill,” so plan to take full advantage of it!

Once you do return to work, make sure you take it easy and slow and allow your body some additional time to heal fully. Don’t overextend yourself or engage in physical activity during this time. In about two or three weeks, your body should be recovered to the point that all normal activities can be resumed.