The recovery time for a hysterectomy depends not so much on what organs are removed as on how the surgery is performed. The most common type of hysterectomy is open abdominal surgery. It involves a 3 or 4-day hospital stay and a 6-week recovery. There are several types of less invasive hysterectomies in which patients often leave the hospital in 1 or 2 days and return to work in 2 weeks.
Procedures
The term total hysterectomy often refers to removal of the uterus and cervix, while a radical hysterectomy includes taking out the ovaries and fallopian tubes. In cases of cervical cancer, tissues next to the uterus, the top inch of the vagina and the pelvic lymph nodes may also be removed. Usually these surgeries can be accomplished with a number of techniques.
Methods
There are several types of minimally invasive hysterectomies, all resulting in a much shorter recovery time than abdominal surgery. In a vaginal procedure, the uterus is removed through an incision in the vagina. If this operation is not performed in conjunction with another method, the doctor has limited view of the pelvic organs. In a laparoscopically assisted hysterectomy, several small incisions are made in the abdomen through which to insert instruments. The doctor views the surgical site through an endoscope inserted through one of the incisions. The uterus is cut into pieces, which can either be removed through the laparoscope or the vagina.
Least Invasive
The least invasive hysterectomy available today uses the da Vinci robot and techniques similar to a laparoscopic surgery. The robot provides doctors with a high-definition, 3D, magnified view of the surgical site. The surgeon operates the robot, which is able to make movements too tiny and precise for the human hand. There are generally several small incisions, one through the belly button. The uterus is typically removed vaginally. Patients who have da Vinci surgery lose less blood and recover more quickly. Some are able to leave the hospital the same day as their procedure.
Expertise
Unfortunately abdominal surgery remains the most common type of hysterectomy in the United States. This is because many surgeons do not have the technical skill to perform less invasive procedures. Minimally invasive procedures are more difficult to perform and more expensive, but they result in less expensive hospital stays. And more importantly for patients, they allow for much quicker recoveries.
Time Frame
Whatever the method of surgery, women should be prepared for a gradual recovery. Even in a minimally invasive procedure, a hysterectomy is still major surgery that involves pushing, pulling, and rearranging organs. Many patients are sore for a month, some for as long as 6 months. Swelling after the surgery is typical. The support group Hystersisters.com says that the majority of women do not go even 1 day without thinking about their surgery for 6 months after the procedure.
Tags: abdominal surgery, common type, common type hysterectomy, invasive hysterectomies, invasive procedures, leave hospital