Guys I am a serious lifter here that has had several HT. When the stictches come out I usually resume normal exercise. No squats, deads, or bent rows.
Dr Charles my surgeon says 7-10 days and you're fine.

panther,
are you happy with your multiple HT results?
just curious.

panther,

I think proceeding with a bit of caution is advisable regarding "intense" workouts. 7-10 days, the scar is still very fresh and new, and anything that might strain the tender scar is bad news. Just use your head and you will be ok. If you feel a strain...don't do it. If not, well then...be careful, but go for it.

Falc

Two things I'd recommend:

The first is concentrate heavily on breathing correctly when performing excercises. Breathe in heavily when not exerting and breathe heavily when exerting. This should be done in a much more exagerrated way then when working out normally, as you would prior to HT. By doing this you will limit the pressure build up in your head. I would also lift light for the first few weeks.

The other thing I would concentrate on is avoiding any exercises where your chin is pushed down towards your chest. You can do exercises where you move your head back and exercises where you keep it straight. Be aware and careful and you should avoid damaging the back of your head.

Playing hockey after the 3rd week since surgery would be ok then?

I train & compete in (kick)boxing and grappling, and one of the primary issues I am going to really inquire about with True&Dorin is the "how long post-op till' working out"....it seems like there isn't a definitive answer out there, but I'm going to try to get a (conservative) approximation for the following:

walking; jogging; sprinting; light to medium weights; heavy weights; "normal" strength/conditioning routines; kickboxing; and finally, grappling and boxing/kickboxing sparring....I have a feeling that it could be a long, long time (3+months) before I'll be able to participate in some of the latter activities.

Don't do any physical contact sports for 3 months period!

Falc