Swimming after your Surgery

The information in this section is made available through the generous support of Dr. Grant Stevens.

Swimming after your surgery can be very dangerous and put your health at risk. After surgery, you can have microscopic size open areas that you are not even aware of that can allow bacteria to enter your fresh incision lines. Infection likes to have a warm, moist, dark environment in which to grow. These bacteria can start to grow the instant it enters your body. A wet swimsuit can harbor bacteria too.

Jacuzzis are just as dangerous to your incision lines. Even though the water may be chemically treated in either a swimming pool or jacuzzi, there still can be dangerous bacteria in the water.

Common signs or symptoms of infection can include, redness, warmth, pain, swelling, possibly a yellow or green pus like drainage or a fever. Please be sure to get the okay from your surgeon before you plan on swimming or getting into a jacuzzi.

Please remember that you only get once chance to heal properly!