Question:
At how many weeks post-op is it safe to ride on amusement park rides?

At how many weeks post-op lap RNY is it considered safe to ride amusement park rides such as roller coasters at such places as Disneyland,Great America, Six Flaggs? Thanks for your input.    — Debi B. (posted on April 11, 2003)

April 11, 2003
I would ask your doctor what their restrictions are. I have no restrictions after 2 weeks, not lifting or anthing. My doc puts the internal stitches in extra tight to prevent further problems. I personally would wait atleast 2 months before riding any rides at the amusement park. good luck
   — Sandy H.

April 11, 2003
I asked my surgeon at my two weeks post op appointment. I was going to Islands of Adventure/Universal Studios over Thanksgiving last year, which put me at just under 4 weeks post op. He said there were no restrictions and to ride what I wanted and have fun. And I did! Had a great time and rode all sorts of rides with no problem.
   — koogy

April 11, 2003
Debi, I would wait a few months if I were you. I went to Six Flags in NJ probably 2 mnths post-op and only rode one ride. It was too bumpy for my stomach. Others may be fine sooner, I just personally couldn't handle it then. But I did fit comfortably in the seats! :-) Goodluck to you
   — Lezlie Y.

April 14, 2003
My surgeon says that anyone who has a Roux-en-Y intestinal reconstruction is at permanent increased risk for a small bowel obstruction. Due to this risk, he recommends against any activity that causes significant, unnatural twisting or "sloshing" in the abdominal area (e.g., bungee jumping, wrestling, and yes, unfortunately,...roller coasters). He doesn't say that we can never do those things, but he's careful to let us know that we're taking a risk when we do. (In fact, the risk actually increases as you lose weight and your intestinal mesentery thins out. Also, the more distal you are, the more likely it is that you could have a problem.) One DS post-op in our support group learned the hard way. She rode a roller coaster at about one year post-op and ended up in the ER with a bowel obstruction immediately afterwards. Her obstruction worked itself out without need of surgery, but she reports that the pain was terrible, and she decided to forego future amusement park outings. Considering that small bowel obstructions can be life-threatening and difficult to diagnose (even CT scans don't always pick them up, especially if it's in the bilio-pancreatic limb), it seems wise to be cautious!
   — Tally