REHABILITATION
With the Muschaweck minimal tension repair technique, athletes can potentially return to sports in as early as 2 weeks from the literature. I tend to be a bit more conservative, since most athletes are having surgery in the off-season. I will routinely have a 4 week protocol to return to sports, since there is no need to rush a recovery in the off-season. For certain scenarios, with a dedicated athlete, involved trainer, and a need to get back in 2 weeks, we can work on the accelerated protocol as long there is very close follow-up with the athletic trainer and my team.
Also, it is important to remember that everyone has a slightly different injury, so it may take longer in some cases to fully rehabilitate the sports hernia or core muscle injury after surgery. Even with a return at 2-4 weeks, there is still some residual discomfort. I always recommend the athletes to warm-up and stretch very well before any practice of competition for the next 3-4 months. This allows the repaired muscle to be more mobile and flexible prior to the sporting activity.