Question:
If you push and pull 85-125 lb pkgs post open RNY, will this cause

you to get a hernia easier. I work for UPS and we routinely push and pull on very heavy boxes from one roller belt to another. We also have to lift pkgs sometimes. I looked in the library but didn't see anything like this question posted. I am wondering if I should possibly try to transfer to another area if this could cause problems. I am pre-op and my WLS Dr said there would be NO restrictions post surgery, but I really trust your all's opinion more than his regarding this. Thanks in advance for all of your help!!    — bufordslipstick (posted on September 12, 2003)

September 11, 2003
Even if they do your surgery LAP, rather than OPEN, they still have to go through your stomach muscles to do what they need to do. My doctor said if you have to lift a lot on your job (meaning..anything heavier than 20 lbs) you need a good 6-8 weeks for those stomach muscles to heal so you won't get a hernia. I had my surgery on 8/15/2002 and he put a lifting restriction on my "return to work" form until the end of October.
   — Cathy S.

September 11, 2003
Anyone who does much for lifting on a regular basis really should plan on being off a full 6 weeks or see if you can temporarily do something else while you heal. If you can, then go for 8 weeks. Pushing and pulling can be hard also but if things are on rollers that will help. I would definitely plan on wearing a support belt, not just a binder, when you go back for many months if you want to avoid a hernia. After 7 months I have just started doing ab work, as part of my weight training routine, because I did not desire a hernia. I have a very strong fascia so hopefully I will be good for life. The surgeon commented on that a few times when he would put a long q-tip down the open holes I had in my incision and pressed some and was impressed how strong it was and that was early on. Having an incision will always make you a little more suseptible to hernias but don't let it control your life either. My mom developed a hernia, with bowel protruding through, in June, in her 18 yr old gallbladder scar, so one never knows. She doesn't even have an idea how it happened.
   — zoedogcbr

September 12, 2003
Everything that I have read says that anybody that has abdominal surgery, has a bigger chance of getting a hernia and will always be weak in that area. I followed the surgeon's orders to a "t" and still got a hernia at 7 months out. I've since had it repaired and just plan on not lifting really heavy stuff anymore, because a hernia repair is no guarantee that you won't get another hernia.
   — joeandteri

September 15, 2003
Thanks for all of the answers. I am planning on having open (so doc can see inside of me better). I should have listed the weights that we push/pull. We routinely get boxes that are 90-125 lbs, and sometimes I am responsible for 20 or more by myself nightly. On nights that we have a lot of boxes this size,my back is just spazzing and buzzing/twinging when I leave work. I just felt like if I have problems now, they might get worse post-op.
   — bufordslipstick

September 15, 2003
Hi Rebecca, I can't imagine that you will have no restrictions post operatively. We don't let our patients, whether lap or open, lift anything heavier than 10 pounds for a month, no heavy pushing and pulling for a month and no strenuous exercise for six weeks - we just want them to walk every day. I'd say pushing and pulling boxes of that weight will basically guarantee you a hernia. Also, I wanted to dispel a common myth about weight loss surgery - the surgeon can actually see better during a lap procedure rather than open. It's a much cleaner surgery with less bleeding and everything is magnified on a television screen. The visibility is infinitely better with lap. I had to have the procedure open and have no regrets but I sure wish I could've had it lap! Best wishes to you in your journey!
   — ronascott