Abdominal and Gut Surgery Recovery

A hysterectomy. Your gallbladder or appendix. A hernia repair. Bowel surgery. Whatever it was, your belly has been through a lot, and now it feels bloated, tight, tender, or just "off."

Mira, mujer (look, woman), your belly deserves some gentle attention. Let's talk about what's normal and what helps.

Abdominal surgery recovery: the quick answer

After abdominal or gut surgery, it's common to feel bloated, sore, tight, and slow to digest for a few weeks. Laparoscopic surgery (a few small incisions) usually heals faster than open surgery (one bigger incision).

Over time, scar tissue can form inside and outside, and some women notice pulling, tightness, or a belly that never feels quite right, even years later. Gentle belly work can help, once your doctor says you're healed.

What's normal

• Bloating and gas, sometimes in your shoulders after laparoscopic surgery

• Slow digestion or constipation, especially with pain medication

• Tenderness and swelling around your incisions

• Tightness or pulling when you stand up straight or twist

• Feeling tired for a few weeks

Despacito: slowly. Your gut needs time to wake back up.

What helps

• Walk often, even just around the house. It helps your gut get moving

• Drink water and eat simple, gentle foods at first

• Splint your belly with a pillow when you cough, laugh, or sneeze

• Follow your lifting limits. No heavy lifting until your doctor says so

Bloat or swelling?

After belly surgery, it can be hard to tell gas from fluid. Here's how to tell the difference.

→ Belly Bloat vs. Swelling: What's the Difference?

Gentle belly work

What I tell my clients: once you're healed and your doctor says it's okay, gentle belly work can help move fluid, ease tightness, and help your belly feel softer and more like yours again. My Belly Release & Restore session is made for exactly this.

→ How Lymphatic Drainage Works

Here's your chisme for today: a lot of women who come in for belly work had surgery years ago and were told the tightness was "just how it is now." No es cierto: that's not true. Old scar tissue can still soften.

→ Scar Tissue Release: Never Too Soon, Never Too Late

When to call your doctor

Ojo, watch out: call your doctor for a fever, severe or worsening belly pain, vomiting, not passing gas or stool, redness that's spreading, an incision that opens or drains, or a bulge that gets bigger when you cough or strain. Call 911 for chest pain or shortness of breath.

Ready to feel at home in your belly?

If you're in Sacramento and your belly still feels tight or "off" after surgery, I'd love to help.

→ Book a Session

Not local? Reach out to me for a private consult over Zoom (small fee).

→ Email Me: christina@lymphandscars.com

Follow along → Instagram · Facebook · TikTok

---

I'm a Certified Massage Therapist (CAMTC No. 39170), not a doctor. This post is for education, not medical advice. Always follow your doctor's instructions. If you think you're having an emergency, call 911.