The short answer
Most people walk the same day, return to desk work in about one to two weeks, and avoid heavy lifting and strenuous activity for at least four to six weeks. You can usually drive once you can make an emergency stop without pain, and have sex once it is comfortable. Your surgeon's instructions for your own repair come first.
Book hernia repair, from ₦850,000Medically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana, Founder and Chief Executive, Mezo. Last reviewed . This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Care is decided with you after an examination.
Step by step
- 1
Day of surgery
Someone escorts you home. Rest, sip fluids, eat light food, take painkillers on time, and walk around the house.
- 2
Days 2 to 7
Walk a little more each day. Keep the wound dry and covered. Shower once your dressing allows. No lifting.
- 3
Weeks 1 to 2
Most desk workers return to work. Short drives once you can brake hard without pain. Wound check if your surgeon arranged one.
- 4
Weeks 2 to 6
Build up walking and light activity. Still no heavy lifting or strenuous exercise.
- 5
After about 6 weeks
Heavier work and sport, once your surgeon agrees.
The first few days
Expect soreness around the wound for a few days, and bruising or swelling that can spread to the scrotum or the top of the thigh for a couple of weeks. After keyhole surgery some people have bloating or shoulder-tip pain for a day or two from the gas used during the operation. Some numbness below the cut is common and usually improves slowly.
Take the painkillers you are given on time rather than waiting for the pain to build. Hold a pillow or your hand over the wound when you cough, sneeze or laugh. Get up and walk around the house several times a day: it helps your breathing and lowers the risk of clots.
Going back to work
Office and shop work: usually one to two weeks. Jobs that involve standing all day or a long commute: often closer to two weeks. Work that involves lifting, such as loading goods, market work, construction or farming: usually up to six weeks, and only once your surgeon is happy.
If your commute involves danfo, keke or okada, think about the jolting and the step up into the bus. Many people in Lagos choose to work from home for the first week or take a car.
Lifting, gym and sport
Avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise for at least four to six weeks. Heavy means anything that makes you hold your breath and strain: a bag of rice, a full water container, a toddler, a gas cylinder. Walking is encouraged from day one and you can build it up each week. Gym work, football and running usually wait until your surgeon says the repair is ready.
Driving, sex and constipation
Do not drive on the day of surgery. You can usually drive again when you can sit comfortably, turn to check your blind spot, and brake hard without pain. For many people that is one to two weeks, and Lagos go-slow means sitting for a long time, so start with short trips. Check with your insurer if you are unsure.
Sex is fine once it is comfortable, often after one to two weeks. Straining on the toilet puts pressure on the repair, so drink plenty of water, eat soft fibre such as pap, oats, pawpaw and vegetables, and use the laxative you are given if your stools are hard.
Warning signs after surgery
Contact your surgeon or care coordinator the same day, or go to an emergency department, if you have:
- Pus from the wound, or a wound that is hot, swollen and increasingly painful (redness can be harder to see on dark skin)
- Fever, chills or shivering
- A swollen, painful tummy that is getting worse, or vomiting that continues the next day
- A lot of blood soaking through the dressing
- A painful, swollen calf, breathlessness or chest pain, which can mean a blood clot
- You cannot pass urine
What it costs on Mezo
Mesh included. Billed as one line.
Common questions
When can I bathe after hernia surgery?
You can usually shower after a few days if you have a waterproof dressing. Avoid soaking in a bath or swimming until the wound has healed, which is often around two weeks.
My scrotum is swollen and purple after the operation. Is that normal?
Bruising and swelling that track down into the scrotum are common after groin hernia repair and usually settle over a couple of weeks. If it is very painful, tense or getting bigger quickly, contact your surgeon the same day.
Can the hernia come back?
Sometimes, though it is uncommon. Following the lifting advice, avoiding constipation, stopping smoking and keeping a healthy weight all help the repair hold.
Who should take me home?
An adult who can stay with you for the first night. Do not take public transport or an okada home alone. A care coordinator helps plan the day, including when you can leave.
The procedures
Related health guides
More patient guides
Sources and further reading
The guidelines and patient information this page is checked against. Care in Nigeria follows the same evidence; what differs is the price and where it is done.
- Inguinal hernia repair. NHS. Patient information.
- Umbilical hernia. NHS. Patient information.
Links last checked 22 October 2026.
Medical disclaimer: This guide is general information and does not replace advice from your own doctor. Where your centre's instructions differ from this guide, follow theirs.