A hysterectomy is surgery to remove a woman’s uterus or womb. The uterus is the place where a baby grows when a woman is pregnant. After a hysterectomy, you no longer have menstrual periods and can’t become pregnant. Sometimes the surgery also removes the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
In an abdominal hysterectomy, the doctor removes the uterus through an opening in the belly. If it is a "total hysterectomy," the doctor also removes the cervix. If it is a "subtotal" or "supracervical" hysterectomy, the doctor removes the uterus but leaves the cervix in place.
This allows the surgeon to see your internal organs. Instruments are then inserted through other small incisions in your abdomen or vagina to remove your womb, cervix and any other parts of your reproductive system. Laparoscopic hysterectomies are usually carried out under general anaesthetic.
Your surgeon performs most of the procedure through small abdominal incisions aided by long, thin surgical instruments inserted through the incisions. Your surgeon then removes the uterus through an incision made in your vagina.
A total hysterectomy removes all of the uterus, including the cervix. The ovaries and the fallopian tubes may or may not be removed. This is the most common type of hysterectomy. A partial, also called subtotal or supracervical, hysterectomy removes just the upper part of the uterus.
Most women go home 2-3 days after this surgery, but complete recovery takes from six to eight weeks. During this time, you need to rest at home. You shouldn't do any tasks until you talk with your doctor about restrictions. Don't do any lifting for the first two weeks.
Depending on various procedures, the individual may be advised to rest from two to six weeks, with the first two weeks consisting of bed rest.
