5 Reasons to Avoid a Hot Tub After Surgery

Recovering from surgery takes time, and your body needs extra care. Jumping into a hot tub too soon may feel tempting, but it can slow healing, cause infections, and strain your heart. 

In this article, we explore five key reasons to avoid hot tubs after surgery and how to stay safe while recovering.

• Protect Your Healing: Avoid hot tubs until your incision is fully closed to reduce infection risks.
  
  

• Prevent Complications: Hot water can reopen wounds, delay healing, or strain your heart.
  
  

• Guard Against Clots: Prolonged soaking may worsen circulation and increase DVT risks.
  
  

• Watch Skin Sensitivity: Chemicals like chlorine and bromine can irritate or damage healing skin.
  
  

• Follow Medical Advice: Always consult your surgeon to confirm when hot tub use is safe for you.

After surgery, using a hot tub is generally unsafe until your incision is fully healed. Soaking too soon can increase infection risk, reopen wounds, irritate skin, strain circulation, and raise blood clot chances. 

Recovery time varies by surgery type, and warm, not hot water with short sessions is safest. Always follow your surgeon’s guidance before returning to a hot tub.

After surgery, patience is essential before stepping into a hot tub. Most medical guidelines suggest waiting until your incision has fully healed to prevent infection or other complications. 

For example, recovery after laparoscopic surgery is usually quicker, and many people can return to hot tub use within 1–2 weeks, once stitches are removed or dissolved and the wound has closed. 

Still, entering too soon can be risky, warm water softens delicate tissue, which may cause stitches to reopen and allow bacteria to enter. 

That’s why soaking with an open wound, bandages, or external fixation devices is strongly discouraged. 

Recovery times also vary depending on the surgery. A study in BMC Health Services Research highlights how acceptable healing periods can range from just a couple of weeks to several months, depending on the type of procedure and patient needs. 

Meanwhile, findings published in Patient Education and Counseling note that hydrotherapy can sometimes ease pain and even support healing, but only when the skin is fully sealed. Ultimately, the safest step is to follow your surgeon’s personalized advice.

Relaxing in a hot tub after surgery may sound comforting, but it can actually put your recovery at risk if your body hasn’t fully healed. 

Surgical wounds act like open gateways for germs, and soaking them in warm, shared water creates the perfect environment for bacteria to enter. 

StatPearls notes that one of the most common hot tub–related infections is Pseudomonas folliculitis, which shows up as an itchy rash with red bumps and may also cause swollen lymph nodes, breast tenderness, and fever. 

Because these bacteria thrive in warm water found in hot tubs, pools, and jacuzzis, doctors stress the importance of waiting until your incision is completely closed and all stitches or staples are removed, usually two to six weeks depending on the surgery. 

Health experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) further recommend steps to lower risk, like showering before entering, avoiding swallowing hot tub water, limiting the number of people in public tubs, and staying out if you’re sick, very young, or pregnant. In the end, patience is essential for safe healing.

Relaxing in a hot tub after surgery might feel tempting, but it can disrupt your healing in ways you might not realize. 

The heat causes blood vessels to widen, improving circulation and helping deliver oxygen and nutrients to the healing tissues, something that could, in theory, support recovery. 

Yet the risks far outweigh these benefits. As highlighted by Psychreg, Dr. Thomas cautions that post-surgical wounds and hot tubs are a “dangerous combo.” 

Extended soaking can soften incision edges, slow down closure, or even cause the wound to reopen. 

The danger doesn’t stop there, bacteria such as Pseudomonas thrive in warm, shared water and can easily infect vulnerable tissue. 

Guidance from the NHS also reinforces this concern, stressing that infections become far more likely when wounds are submerged too soon. 

For this reason, specialists generally recommend waiting at least two weeks, or longer depending on your surgeon’s advice, before using a hot tub. 

While showers are usually safe within a few days, full immersion should wait until healing is complete.

Soaking in a hot tub after surgery may sound soothing, but it can put unexpected stress on your cardiovascular system. 

Findings published in Temperature: Multidisciplinary Biomedical Journal show that hot water immersion can lower systolic blood pressure by about 6–7 mm Hg, while diastolic pressure often remains unchanged. 

While this reduction might seem positive, the combination of lower blood pressure and a faster heart rate, as the body works to manage rising core temperature, can be risky during recovery. 

For individuals with conditions like angina, arrhythmias, or heart failure, these shifts can further strain the heart. 

Likewise, data reported in Mayo Clinic Proceedings noted that although hot tubs may be tolerated under careful conditions by patients with stable heart disease, they are not recommended for immediate post-surgical use. 

The safest approach is to follow your doctor’s guidance, since the timing for reintroducing hot water depends on the type of surgery, wound healing, and your overall health. 

In most cases, patients are advised to wait until incisions are fully healed and circulation has stabilized before stepping into a hot tub.

Using a hot tub after surgery may feel relaxing, but it can raise your risk of serious complications such as blood clots or deep vein thrombosis (DVT). 

Even though research has not directly linked hot tub use after surgery with higher DVT rates, the overall risk of clots is already well known in surgical patients, especially after orthopedic procedures, notes StatPearls (NIH). 

Factors like age, limited mobility, and existing health conditions can make this risk even greater. 

Prolonged exposure to hot water dilates blood vessels, which can worsen circulation issues, lead to pooling of blood in the legs, and slow recovery, according to the CDC. 

On top of that, hot tubs can harbor bacteria, making infection more likely if surgical wounds are not fully healed. 

As emphasized by the National Blood Clot Alliance, hot tubs are not a safe or recommended way to prevent DVT. 

Instead, proven methods include early movement, compression stockings, and prescribed blood thinners. 

For your safety, it’s always best to ask your doctor before stepping into a hot tub after surgery.

After surgery, your skin is far more delicate and prone to irritation, making time in a hot tub riskier than it might seem. 

One of the most frequent problems doctors see is hot tub folliculitis, which shows up as clusters of itchy, red bumps. 

These breakouts can appear on almost any area exposed to contaminated water — the face, chest, arms, buttocks, genitals, or legs. 

Even in well-maintained tubs, the disinfecting chemicals can cause harm. Chlorine and bromine, for example, don’t just clean the water; they may actually slow wound healing and, over time, leave the skin thinner and more vulnerable to reopening. 

A report in Cureus highlights cases of Pseudomonas aeruginosa folliculitis, a bacterial infection strongly linked to hot tub use, with some outbreaks affecting entire groups of bathers. 

To lower these risks, experts at The London Dermatology Centre advise avoiding harsh chemicals and active skincare products near healing wounds for at least 6–8 weeks, and instead focusing on gentle scar care, sun protection, and allowing your skin time to recover fully.

• Consult Your Doctor: Ask your doctor before using the hot tub to make sure it’s safe for your recovery.
  
  

• Prevent Infection: Wait for all wounds to fully heal before soaking.
  
  

• Body Readiness: Skip hot tubs until your body is completely ready after surgery.
  
  

• Safe Temperature: Keep the water at a comfortable and safe temperature.
  
  

• Short Soaks: Limit your time in the hot tub to short periods only.
  
  

• Watch for Pain: Stop immediately if you notice pain, redness, or discomfort.
  
  

• Cleanliness Matters: Always ensure the hot tub is properly cleaned and sanitized.

After surgery, finding the right water temperature is essential for both comfort and safe recovery. 

Experts recommend sticking with warm—not hot—water, ideally around 98–100°F (37–38°C), and keeping sessions brief, about 15–20 minutes. 

Very hot water can spike blood pressure, cause dizziness, or interact poorly with pain medications, leading to serious side effects. Gentle warmth, however, can be beneficial. 

The WoundCare Education Institute notes that cooler temperatures may slow healing by restricting blood flow and reducing the oxygen available to immune cells that fight infection, while warmth helps tissues repair more effectively. 

Research on post-operative hydrotherapy also shows that most therapeutic pools are kept between 91–97°F (33–36°C) to relax muscles, ease pain, and improve mobility, with slightly warmer ranges sometimes used under professional guidance. 

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization highlights the importance of maintaining normothermia (above 36°C/96.8°F) to lower risks such as bleeding, infection, or heart complications. 

Since every recovery is different, always speak with your doctor or physical therapist to confirm the safest temperature and soaking time for your individual needs.

Hot tub safety after surgery largely depends on the type of procedure you’ve had. In orthopedic surgeries, studies highlight a serious risk of infection because bacteria such as Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas can easily enter open wounds or surgical implants. 

Health authorities, including the CDC, strongly recommend avoiding hot tubs until the incision is fully closed and healed. 

After skin or wound surgeries, specialists caution that warm water can soften tissues, weaken stitches, and raise the likelihood of surgical site infections. 

For abdominal or gastrointestinal operations, like appendectomies or hysterectomies, medical advice usually suggests waiting 4–6 weeks before soaking, and only once stitches are removed or dissolved. 

When it comes to cardiovascular procedures, cardiology experts point out that hot tubs may increase heart rate, lower blood pressure, or even trigger arrhythmias especially in people with blocked arteries or existing heart disease. 

Although some research hints at long-term benefits of hot water bathing, the risks are greater in the immediate recovery period. 

Ultimately, the safest choice is to follow your surgeon’s guidance and wait until complete healing before returning to a hot tub.

You should always consult your doctor before using a hot tub after surgery to ensure your incision is fully healed. 

Submerging an open wound risks infection, and healing timelines vary. Follow medical guidance on water temperature, duration, hydration, medications, and watch for signs of infection.