What Is A Hysterectomy? (2024)

How do I prepare for a hysterectomy?

A healthcare provider will explain the procedure in detail, including possible complications and side effects. Talk to them about any concerns you have about the surgery and the recovery process. You may need to provide blood and urine samples to make sure you’re healthy enough for surgery.

A hysterectomy may not involve a hospital stay, depending on what type you have and the surgical approach your surgeon uses. Be sure to discuss what support you’ll need in the early days of your recovery so you can plan for help.

What happens during a hysterectomy?

Your healthcare provider will determine the type of hysterectomy you need and the best surgical method to perform that procedure. You’ll change into a hospital gown and get hooked up to monitors that track your heart rate. A healthcare provider will place an intravenous (IV) line in a vein in your arm to deliver medications and fluids.

An anesthesiologist will give you either:

• General anesthesia, which will put you to sleep for the procedure.
• Regional anesthesia (also called epidural or spinal anesthesia), which involves putting medication near the nerves in your lower back to “block” pain while you stay awake. This is less common.

Surgical methods for hysterectomy

There are several different surgical approaches your healthcare provider may use to perform a hysterectomy.

vagin*l hysterectomy

• A surgeon removes your uterus through an incision at the top of your vagin*. There are no incisions on your abdomen.
• They use dissolvable stitches inside your vagin*.
• Fewest complications and fastest recovery (up to four weeks).
• People often go home on the same day of surgery (outpatient).

vagin*l laparoscopic hysterectomy

• A surgeon inserts a laparoscope (a thin tube with a video camera on the end) into your lower abdomen through the vagin*l incision. This allows improved visualization of the pelvic structures.
• Your surgeon removes your uterus through your vagin*.
• There are no abdominal incisions.
• People often go home on the same day of surgery.
• Full recovery is shorter and less painful than an abdominal laparoscopic hysterectomy.

Abdominal laparoscopic hysterectomy

• A surgeon inserts the laparoscope into your lower abdomen through a small incision near your belly button.
• They insert surgical tools through several other small incisions on your abdomen.
• Your surgeon removes your uterus in small pieces through the abdominal incisions (or possibly through your vagin*).
• Some people go home the same day or after one night in the hospital.
• Full recovery is shorter and less painful than an abdominal hysterectomy.

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy

• Similar to an abdominal laparoscopy, but your surgeon performs the procedure with the help of a robotic machine.
• Your surgeon inserts a laparoscope through abdomen incisions. They insert small, thin surgical tools through three to five other small incisions around your belly button. The surgeon controls robotic arms and instruments.
• The recovery is like a laparoscopic hysterectomy.

Abdominal hysterectomy

• Your uterus is removed through a 6- to 8-inch-long incision in your abdomen.
• The incision is made either from your belly button to your pubic bone or across the top of your public hairline. The surgeon will use stitches or staples to close the incision.
• Surgeons may use this type when cancer is involved, when the uterus is very enlarged or when disease spreads to other pelvic areas.
• It generally requires a longer hospital stay (two or three days) and a longer recovery time.

How long does a hysterectomy take?

The procedure lasts one to three hours. The time can vary depending on:

• The size of your uterus.
• Whether you have scar tissue from past surgeries.
• Whether your surgeon needs to remove endometriosis or other organs (like your fallopian tubes or ovaries).

How painful is a hysterectomy?

Anesthesia will keep you from feeling pain during the surgery. But you can expect soreness and discomfort for a few weeks. Your surgeon will discuss your options for pain relief during recovery. This could involve prescription pain medication or over-the-counter (OTC) pain medicines like NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) or acetaminophen.

What are the most common side effects of a hysterectomy?

Some of the most common side effects of a hysterectomy are:

• vagin*l bleeding and drainage (can last up to six weeks).
• Soreness or irritation at the incision sites.
• Difficulty peeing or pooping in the days following surgery.
• Fatigue and tiredness from surgery.

If your healthcare provider removes your ovaries at the time of your hysterectomy, and you haven’t already gone through menopause, you may experience symptoms of menopause, such as:

• Hot flashes.
• vagin*l dryness.
• Loss of libido.
• Difficulty sleeping (insomnia).

Your surgeon will discuss treatment options to avoid the side effects of menopause if they remove your ovaries. This could include hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to relieve your symptoms.

What happens after a hysterectomy?

The amount of time you spend in the hospital following a hysterectomy varies depending on what kind of surgery you had. Your healthcare provider may want to monitor you and ensure there aren’t any signs of complications. You’ll walk around as soon as possible after your surgery to prevent blood clots in your legs.

If you had an abdominal hysterectomy, you might stay in the hospital for a few days. vagin*l and laparoscopic hysterectomies are less invasive and typically don’t require an overnight stay in the hospital.

Your healthcare provider will go over recovery instructions, including restrictions to your day-to-day activities. Be sure to discuss any concerns you have about your recovery or the procedure before you go home.

How long do you have to be on bed rest after a hysterectomy?

You typically don’t need to be on bed rest after a hysterectomy. In fact, your provider will want you to walk around as soon as you’re able to.

What happens to your body after a hysterectomy?

The types of changes you can expect to your body depend on what kind of hysterectomy you have. If your provider removes your ovaries, you can expect to enter menopause right away. In addition to the usual side effects of surgery, you may also have symptoms of menopause. Talk to your healthcare provider about ways to minimize symptoms of menopause.

If your provider keeps your ovaries, you won’t enter menopause. In this case, you’ll still lose the ability to get pregnant, but your ovaries will continue to make hormones. You’ll enter menopause at a more typical age (around 51).

As with any major surgery, recovery and rest is crucial. Allow yourself time to heal. Your body has been through a lot, so prioritize rest and relaxation for at least the first two weeks.