In an appearance on Lorraine, Dr Hilary revealed his tips for having comfortable sex after surgery and shared the one 'rule' you should always follow before sharing intimate moments post-operation.
After undergoing any type of surgery, you're going to be left with a lot of questions; when can I drive again? When can I go back to work? How long will my body take to heal? But Dr Hillary has revealed that the most common question patients ask is actually, "When can I resume romance? When can I have sex again?"
It's unsurprising. Sex is a huge part of our lives and being told you can't do something only makes you want to do it more, right? If you've gone in for surgery, you've probably wondered about resuming your sex life afterwards, though whether you've worked up the courage to ask your doctor it is another question all together.
But Dr Hillary has the answer, so you can avoid all the blushing, though you shouldn't be embarrassed as Dr Hillary says patients ask about resuming romance more often than 'When I can drive again?' If you want to know the answer to that one though, Dr Hillary says about 'six weeks.'
But when can you resume with intimacy after surgery? According to Dr Hillary, "Rule of thumb, if you can do two flights of stairs without being too short of breath or getting chest pain, you're okay to have a bit of nookie."
With the most common operations being joint ones, with hip and knee surgery at the top, waiting to heal before you get back into the bedroom is vital. "What you don't want to do after a hip operation, which is usually very successful, is to dislocate that new hip," Dr Hillary explains. "You can resume sex usually within four to six weeks - provided it's healing nicely and you're given advice."
His advice, he says, is not just for those who have undergone joint surgery and it also applies to those who have suffered from a heart attack, who have had a hysterectomy, and people who have just given birth either naturally or via caesarean. Just keep in mind, he says, "You want to make sure the scars heal, the wounds heal. You want to make sure you're not bleeding still, you're not in any pain. And usually again after the six week checkup, you're probably ok to go."
When you do feel your libido calling after those six weeks, and preferably after you've had the all clear from your GP, you want to ease back in with safe positions that won't stress your body.
Dr Hillary says, "For the first time, you can download an online illustrated guide as to which positions are safer, satisfactory [and are] less likely to cause problems with your new hip or your new knee."
This intimacy guide by Practice Plus Group, he says, gives you the information about safe, comfortable and feel-good sex positions anonymously, explaining, "Because it's a question that's so often an embarrassing question and people won't ask to doctor or the physio, it's actually quite good to get that anonymously."
As well as guides to sex positions, there are also more mundane and practical tips in the downloadable guide like to 'take a painkiller 20 minutes before any sexual activity,' and to 'do some gentle stretches' that will loosen the body and relax you beforehand.
You can also find tonnes of expert insight online when it comes to having better sex, whether you're having it after surgery or not, with information on the best sex positions to help you orgasm and tips on how to have better sex being readily available.
A great option for having safer and more comfortable intimate moments post-surgery is to use one or some of the best luxury sex toys that can spice up your sex life without the need for heavy action. The woman&home team have a number of favourites after reviewing a fair share of the best sex toys over the years and you can find our favourites below.
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Looking for one of the best sex toys for couples? The Dame Eva makes for the perfect present to surprise your significant other. This hands-free toy is made with super smooth, soft materials that cling comfortably for clitoral stimulation while you focus on each other.
