Princess Kate was discharged from hospital on Monday following her planned abdominal surgery, and whilst we don't know the exact reason for the intense procedure, it's possible the senior royal could feel the effects of the operation for six to nine months.
HELLO! sat down with Mr. Shashank Gurjar, a consultant and colorectal surgeon specialising in keyhole and open surgery for bowel cancer. Cancer has been ruled out by Kensington Palace as the cause for the Princess's procedure but due to Mr. Gurjar's expertise in the field, he was able to explain what the recovery process looks like from such a major surgery.
"[Princess Kate] should be wary that if it's a big midline operation, she should give it a good six weeks to let the wounds fully heal. With large wounds we stitch the abdomen together and the stitch is designed to last for six to nine months. So patients remain aware of some pulling sensation in the abdomen, because of the stitch, for a good six to nine months after."
The full interview with Mr. Gurjar can be found on The HELLO! Royal Club – sign up to become a member to read the complete feature.
He elaborated: "So these are the internal stitches that hold the abdominal wall. The stitches that you see, that the patient will see on top, they're dissolvable stitches. So we usually use a dissolvable stitch to close the skin along with a skin glue. You might put some little strips across the top to help to hold the wound together.
"The skin itself heals within 48 hours, but the knitting together of the abdominal muscle, which is the sheath of the muscle, that has a stronger stitch which may last a good six months."
In terms of her recovery at home, Mr. Gurjar revealed the three main things that the Princess, like any patient recovering from abdominal surgery, should make sure she is focusing on.
"I think the important thing is firstly to recognise that you've gone through something significant. This is a life event. You cannot think you're going to bounce back tomorrow. You've got to give it time.
"The next thing is nutrition. You must ensure that your nutrition is adequate because wounds need to heal. So you need a good mix of multivitamins, microelements, and all the stuff that you need in a good diet. Carbohydrates, fats, proteins, everything. So a good sensible diet."
Finally, he added: "The third thing is to build up mobility bit by bit. You're not going to get better by sitting or lying in a bed all day every day for the next two weeks. That doesn't help either. So you need the insight, you need the nutrition, and you need the recognition that you have to start mobilizing and build up slowly, but surely."
You can also find Mr. Gurjar at 41 Harley Street at Cosmedics Skin Clinic where he runs a private hemorrhoid clinic.
Mr. Gurjar's interview first appeared on The HELLO! Royal Club on Substack. To read the full interview and watch the full video about Princess Kate's road to recovery, sign up to become a member of our club – a place where we deliver the best in royal journalism without the adverts.
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