What Happens During Hysterectomy Surgery?
A hysterectomy is when a woman’s uterus is surgically removed. This surgery is required when other treatments have not been successful in relieving the woman’s symptoms. Your condition will determine which type of hysterectomy your doctor will perform and exactly which organs are to be removed.
While there are many reasons why a hysterectomy is indicated, the most common is painful heavy periods in a woman who has finished having children. Additional reasons are pregnancy or birthing problems, some cancers, prolapse of the uterus, endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease. Your doctor will explain why you have been advised to have the procedure.
There are two ways to perform this surgery; they are vaginal and abdominal. Patients who have a vaginal procedure usually recover faster and experience less pain because there has been no incision and therefore no stitches. The reason for the need for surgery, the general health of the patient and her age are all factors that will be considered to assess a woman’s suitability for this method.
As with all surgical procedures, some discomfort and pain are to be expected, but this will be more severe with an abdominal hysterectomy. Pain relief is given in hospital and you will possibly have a catheter in place for a day or two to drain urine away.
For the first day or two after your operation, you will remain in bed but then will be helped to get up and walk around. To reduce the possibility of clots in the legs, is why patients are taken for walks soon after surgery. The stay in hospital for women who have had a vaginal hysterectomy is 3 or 4 days; for those who have had an adbominal hysterectomy, it is closer to one week.
You will continue your recovery at home for 6 to 8 weeks so that your body can heal and you can regain your strength. It is important to rest during this time and don’t do any heavy housework, stretching or lifting.
There will be certain symptoms you can expect during recovery. Expect some vaginal bleeding or discharge for a week or ten days; ask your doctor about it if you are concerned. Some women experience menopause symptoms, which last a few days. Menopause symptoms include things like crying, confusion, sweats, hot flashes and feeling anxious. In cases where the symptoms don’t go away, doctors may prescribe some hormone replacement therapy to alleviate the discomfort.
Your libido will not be adversely affected by having a hysterectomy. vaginal lubricants help to remove any discomfort of vaginal dryness which is common after the ovaries are removed. it is best to avoid having sex for six weeks or so after your hysterectomy so that your body has time to heal completely.
Some women feel a sense of loss after a hysterectomy or feel they are less of a woman. These symptoms don’t last very long because most women feel so much better in themselves. If you find that some of these issues are continuing, ask your doctor for advice. A physicians can always give you good information on hysterectomy surgery, Laparoscopic Hysterectomy and Pain After Hysterectomy.
After a few eeks at home, start going for a short walk to regain fitness and maintain your normal weight. Make sure you start off slowly and then gradually lengthen your walks in time or distance. Your recovery will be enhanced with a little exercise like this and give you something positive to do. Recovery from a hysterectomy cannot be rushed; you will be tired and you need the full recovery period to regain your strength.
This not not medical advise always consult your physcian for medical advise
This entry was posted on Thursday, March 25th, 2010 at 3:33 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.