How Soon After Skull Reshaping Surgery Can I Exercise?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have read most of the material on your website relative to skull reduction. I have a disproportionately large head and face compared to my body. If you burr my head, how many months it will take before I can see a result? Because I assume in this kind of operations you get lots of swelling and you don’t see a result right away. So, the head will look bigger before starting to look smaller. Most importantly, I am an active person and work out every single day (aerobic, elliptical, walks). For this kind of surgery, how many weeks should I take off from the work out? And what is the worst that can happen if I work out 10 days post op, for instance? Thanks

A: While the scalp will swell after any skull reshaping procedure (the bone doesn’t), it usually takes about three weeks before the initial results start to become apparent. It will take up to three months to see the final result. There is harm in returning to working out whenever you feel comfortable, even if it just 10 days after surgery. You can not hurt the surgical result.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana