Exercise During Hospitalization

If you’re planning to undergo a gastrectomy, a good practice is to start exercising, especially if you aren’t already active.  Exercise will help prepare your body for surgery and to ease the process because you will be in better physical condition to withstand the surgery and recover from it. 

Immediately following your gastrectomy, your surgeon will advise you to begin walking either the day of or the day after the surgery to avoid post-op ileus and deep venous thrombosis.  Post-op ileus occurs when the normal mechanical functions of the intestinal tract stop due to an abdominal surgery.  Early ambulation and movement will help the small intestines to start functioning, the colon to begin passing gas and the stomach to start functioning again.  Deep venous thrombosis is a life-threatening condition that occurs when blood clots form in the deep venous system of the legs.  These blood clots become a major problem when they embolize (move) to the blood vessels in the lungs (pulmonary embolus).  Walking reduces the chance of forming blood clots.  Oftentimes, patients may find it uncomfortable to begin mobilizing out of bed and to begin walking following surgery so a nurse or physical therapist can help you find the most comfortable and safe way to do this. 

While you are recovering from surgery, either at the hospital or at home, another helpful technique to optimize functioning of your intestinal tract is to engage in stress-relieving practices.  Minimizing stress helps to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system which helps to increase gastrointestinal motility.  Conversely, when you are stressed, the sympathetic nervous system kicks in and tends to reinforce ileus.  The sympathetic nervous system is not easily turned off because of the long-acting nature of the involved chemicals and unfortunately the parasympathetic nervous system is easily turned off because of the short-acting nature of the involved chemicals.  Thus, consistent stress-reducing practices such as meditation, deep breathing, and exercise can support a healthy functioning intestine.

Immediately following gastrectomy, your incision should be protected from abdominal strain to prevent wound dehiscence which is a partial or complete separation of the fascial layers of the surgical incision.  Only a small percentage (up to 3%) experience wound dehiscence and the highest risk occurs 4 – 14 days after surgery.  Generally, abdominal strengthening exercises are usually permitted two months after gastrectomy, however, you should consult with your surgeon as to when you can begin such exercises.