Any surgical procedure brings a certain amount of risk and requires some recovery time. Hysterectomies are major surgeries. Following the guidelines your doctor gives you can make recovering from a supracervical hysterectomy easier and safer.
The Facts
There are several different kinds of hysterectomies. Some involve the complete removal of the uterus, cervix and part of the vagina. During a supracervical hysterectomy, a surgeon removes only the upper part of the uterus, leaving the cervix and other tissues in place. Your experience recovering from a supracervical hysterectomy will depend on how the surgery is performed. Aftercare guidelines for patients are fairly uniform, but each woman's experience is unique.
Abdominal
If your surgeon performs an abdominal supracervical hysterectomy, then she will make a 5 to 7 inch incision on your abdomen in order to access and remove your uterus. This older form of surgery usually requires a hospital stay of three days. While in the hospital, you might require a bladder catheter. It will take about 6 weeks for you to feel completely recovered from the surgery. You can experience more pain while recovering and the incision will leave a scar.
Laparoscopic/Vaginal
Vaginal and laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomies are newer innovations that your doctor can perform. In a vaginal hysterectomy, the surgeon makes a cut in your vagina to reach your uterus. In a laparoscopic procedure, he will make a few small incisions in your belly, using a tiny camera to guide him through removing your uterus. These surgeries require a shorter time spent in the hospital, about 2 days. There will be less scarring because the incisions are smaller. Recovering from them also takes less time: 3 weeks as opposed to 6.
Aftercare
Whether your surgery is abdominal or vaginal, there are some guidelines to follow while recovering from your supracervical hysterectomy. You should walk as soon as you are able to do so. Even mild amounts of exercise will reduce the chance of you developing blood clots after surgery. It may take a little while for your bowels to recover. Your doctor will give you diet suggestions to follow in the meantime.
Considerations
Each woman's experience recovering from her supracervical hysterectomy surgery is different. One person might take longer to feel ready to go back to work and take up normal activities than another. If you are having the surgery to treat cancer, your hospital stay will be longer than the average. Long-term, some women do experience a change in sexual drive and function.
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