Driving after an operation
Discussion
leigh1050 said:
Recentley had a operation and was told I'm not allowed to drive for six weeks!
Is there a reason for this? I can't see why I'm not alloewd to drive as I can get in and out of my car easily and have no discomfort when sat in a car.
The reason is you've been told not to drive for 6 weeks, its that simple. Otherwise talk to your doctor/insurer. No one here will be able to advise much more without knowing more details. I'm having an op on Thursday meaning I won't be able to drive for a while it doesn't matter if I suddenly feel fine. I'm pretty sure if I drove against the advice of the docs my insurance wouldn't be valid. One of the insurance experts may be able to confirm or not.Is there a reason for this? I can't see why I'm not alloewd to drive as I can get in and out of my car easily and have no discomfort when sat in a car.
There's no formal standards relating to driving post surgery. It is down to the type of surgery and the effect on the ability to control and stop a vehicle safely. 6 weeks is commonly given as a guide to something like abdominal surgery and factors in the hesitancy to move if a wound is still painful, the ability to wear a seat belt etc.
Post limb surgery it can depend on the limb operated on, an op like knee cartilage on the L leg would be a quicker return than the same procedure on the R IF an automatic is driven. Minor ops such as done at the GP ill need minimal time off.
Most will require discussion with the GP or surgeon, these in turn will often phone DVLA as it can be a best guess for them as well.
Another point to remember is the category of vehicle, Gp 1 v Gp 2. A procedure such as cardiac stenting may only need a week off for car driving but will need cardiac testing before licensing and driving for LGV
Post limb surgery it can depend on the limb operated on, an op like knee cartilage on the L leg would be a quicker return than the same procedure on the R IF an automatic is driven. Minor ops such as done at the GP ill need minimal time off.
Most will require discussion with the GP or surgeon, these in turn will often phone DVLA as it can be a best guess for them as well.
Another point to remember is the category of vehicle, Gp 1 v Gp 2. A procedure such as cardiac stenting may only need a week off for car driving but will need cardiac testing before licensing and driving for LGV
Bone Rat said:
There's no formal standards relating to driving post surgery. It is down to the type of surgery and the effect on the ability to control and stop a vehicle safely. 6 weeks is commonly given as a guide to something like abdominal surgery and factors in the hesitancy to move if a wound is still painful, the ability to wear a seat belt etc.
Post limb surgery it can depend on the limb operated on, an op like knee cartilage on the L leg would be a quicker return than the same procedure on the R IF an automatic is driven. Minor ops such as done at the GP ill need minimal time off.
Most will require discussion with the GP or surgeon, these in turn will often phone DVLA as it can be a best guess for them as well.
Another point to remember is the category of vehicle, Gp 1 v Gp 2. A procedure such as cardiac stenting may only need a week off for car driving but will need cardiac testing before licensing and driving for LGV
Precisely this. You need to be able to steer, operate pedals and change gears comfortably in your vehicle, the latter most being easier in an automatic, but still needs the ability to shift the lever +/- press a button. Post limb surgery it can depend on the limb operated on, an op like knee cartilage on the L leg would be a quicker return than the same procedure on the R IF an automatic is driven. Minor ops such as done at the GP ill need minimal time off.
Most will require discussion with the GP or surgeon, these in turn will often phone DVLA as it can be a best guess for them as well.
Another point to remember is the category of vehicle, Gp 1 v Gp 2. A procedure such as cardiac stenting may only need a week off for car driving but will need cardiac testing before licensing and driving for LGV
Furthermore, you need to be able to perform these under emergency conditions. Suddenly stamping on the brakes if Bone Rat has replaced your right knee, or sharply steering away from a child who runs out in front of you if I in my past life had taken a saw to your breast bone to fiddle with your heart, would both be excruciatingly painful, and even unwise, for some time after the surgery, potentially resulting in an accident or a complication to your operation. That's why your surgeon will advise you on the appropriate time you need to refrain from driving, and what you need to be able to perform before it is safe to restart driving when the period is complete. Being able to get in and out of the car isn't a good enough metric to be able to demonstrate whether one is safe to resume driving. In some cases, it may not even be a good enough metric to decide whether one is safe to be driven in a car or whether they need special transport!
We don't advise these things just to be difficult, or to make your life worse or because we're on a power trip. The only intention is to keep you and those around you safe and well.
DaveH23 said:
Could you quickly react and perform an emergency stop without causing further damage to yourself?
This, I had an umbilical hernia repaired in May, told not to drive for 3 weeks. The reason being was just think where that safety belt is when you have to do an emergency stop. When I said that I was being driven home afterwards the answer was " tell the driver to be bloody careful" !Certainly wasn't going to walk the 10 miles home.
Edited by Onelastattempt on Wednesday 10th August 12:22
Onelastattempt said:
DaveH23 said:
Could you quickly react and perform an emergency stop without causing further damage to yourself?
This, I had an umbilical hernia repaired in May, told not to drive for 3 weeks. The reason being was just think where that safety belt is when you have to do an emergency stop. When I said that I was being driven home afterwards the answer was " tell the driver to be bloody careful" !Certainly wasn't going to walk the 10 miles home.
Edited by Onelastattempt on Wednesday 10th August 12:22
In reality, I left it a full 14 days, as I didn't need to drive until that time had passed.
Mind you, Mrs Magnum was doing gentle Yoga 4 days after both of her c-sections, so different people clearly recover at different rates.
Here's the view of the surgeon who repaired mine on Umbilical Hernia, including driving by the next day:
https://www.oxfordherniaclinic.com/types-of-hernia...
(Mods - this isn't an advertisement and I have no connection with this clinic, other than being fixed by them)
Magnum 475 said:
Wow! The surgeon who did my inguinal hernia a few weeks back said 10 days before driving, but it would have been much less in the case of an umbilical hernia according to his guidelines. All down to ability to emergency brake. The guy who did mine uses the Lichenstein repair, which seems to heal faster and more effectively than some of the other techniques though.
In reality, I left it a full 14 days, as I didn't need to drive until that time had passed.
Mind you, Mrs Magnum was doing gentle Yoga 4 days after both of her c-sections, so different people clearly recover at different rates.
Here's the view of the surgeon who repaired mine on Umbilical Hernia, including driving by the next day:
https://www.oxfordherniaclinic.com/types-of-hernia...
(Mods - this isn't an advertisement and I have no connection with this clinic, other than being fixed by them)
If the OP's surgeon has said not to drive for six weeks that is what he should do. The fact that somebody under a different surgeon (for an entirely different procedure is different) has been told he can drive the next day is irrelevant.In reality, I left it a full 14 days, as I didn't need to drive until that time had passed.
Mind you, Mrs Magnum was doing gentle Yoga 4 days after both of her c-sections, so different people clearly recover at different rates.
Here's the view of the surgeon who repaired mine on Umbilical Hernia, including driving by the next day:
https://www.oxfordherniaclinic.com/types-of-hernia...
(Mods - this isn't an advertisement and I have no connection with this clinic, other than being fixed by them)
Drumroll said:
Magnum 475 said:
Wow! The surgeon who did my inguinal hernia a few weeks back said 10 days before driving, but it would have been much less in the case of an umbilical hernia according to his guidelines. All down to ability to emergency brake. The guy who did mine uses the Lichenstein repair, which seems to heal faster and more effectively than some of the other techniques though.
In reality, I left it a full 14 days, as I didn't need to drive until that time had passed.
Mind you, Mrs Magnum was doing gentle Yoga 4 days after both of her c-sections, so different people clearly recover at different rates.
Here's the view of the surgeon who repaired mine on Umbilical Hernia, including driving by the next day:
https://www.oxfordherniaclinic.com/types-of-hernia...
(Mods - this isn't an advertisement and I have no connection with this clinic, other than being fixed by them)
If the OP's surgeon has said not to drive for six weeks that is what he should do. The fact that somebody under a different surgeon (for an entirely different procedure is different) has been told he can drive the next day is irrelevant.In reality, I left it a full 14 days, as I didn't need to drive until that time had passed.
Mind you, Mrs Magnum was doing gentle Yoga 4 days after both of her c-sections, so different people clearly recover at different rates.
Here's the view of the surgeon who repaired mine on Umbilical Hernia, including driving by the next day:
https://www.oxfordherniaclinic.com/types-of-hernia...
(Mods - this isn't an advertisement and I have no connection with this clinic, other than being fixed by them)
The procedure I've linked to is for the same operation - Umibilical Hernia Repair. I'm shocked by a surgeon performing this in such a way that it requires so much longer off from driving, when another surgeon can perform this repair in such a way that you can drive next day.
Edited by Magnum 475 on Wednesday 10th August 15:11
leigh1050 said:
Should have said it was a left hip replacement and I drive an automatic.
I think you should be asking your surgeon/consultant the question with that information. Clearly you will have a surgical wound healing, so a suddenly tightening seatbelt could at least be painful.
But otherwise it seems a bit of a long time.
How long does he want you to be off your feet?
IIRC, a friend of mine who had his hips done was back on his feet inside 24 hours.
QBee said:
I think you should be asking your surgeon/consultant the question with that information.
Clearly you will have a surgical wound healing, so a suddenly tightening seatbelt could at least be painful.
But otherwise it seems a bit of a long time.
How long does he want you to be off your feet?
IIRC, a friend of mine who had his hips done was back on his feet inside 24 hours.
Again irrelevant. Just because somebody was back on their feet a day after their operation a) doesn't mean everybody will be. b) are you a surgeon do you know the patient's medical history, are you aware of any complications during surgery, etc?Clearly you will have a surgical wound healing, so a suddenly tightening seatbelt could at least be painful.
But otherwise it seems a bit of a long time.
How long does he want you to be off your feet?
IIRC, a friend of mine who had his hips done was back on his feet inside 24 hours.
My other half had a mastectomy last year - left side. She was told she'd be OK to drive after 3 weeks, but if she was to be a passenger, then for another 4 weeks after that she was to sit behind the driver, so that the seatbelt wouldn't cross over her wound. Who were we to argue with a surgeon when her health was at risk?
Onelastattempt said:
DaveH23 said:
Could you quickly react and perform an emergency stop without causing further damage to yourself?
This, I had an umbilical hernia repaired in May, told not to drive for 3 weeks. The reason being was just think where that safety belt is when you have to do an emergency stop. When I said that I was being driven home afterwards the answer was " tell the driver to be bloody careful" !Certainly wasn't going to walk the 10 miles home.
Edited by Onelastattempt on Wednesday 10th August 12:22
That said during an emergency stop you still need to be in control which might be difficult if youre suddenly in a lot of pain.
My wife had a c-section and was told she couldn’t drive for 6 weeks, not only because she wouldn’t be able to for obvious reasons, but because her insurance would be invalidated. I don’t know how true that was or if it was just a scare tactic. I’m inclined to think the latter. Anyway she based it on would she be able to perform an emergency stop without being in terrible pain.
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