Patients will need good bed rest after a hysterectomy. Most patients need a good recuperation post a hysterectomy. Rest is the key ingredient of the healing process.
The average recovery time for a vaginal or laparoscopic hysterectomy is 3 to 4 weeks. For an abdominal hysterectomy, recovery may take 5 to 6 weeks. It's important to look after yourself after your hysterectomy: Rest as much as possible for at least 2 weeks.
It can take about 6 to 8 weeks to fully recover after having an abdominal hysterectomy. Recovery times are often shorter after a vaginal or laparoscopy hysterectomy. During this time, you should rest as much as possible and not lift anything heavy, such as bags of shopping.
You can likely go home the next day when surgery is done through the vagina, with a laparoscope, or after robotic surgery. When a larger surgical cut (incision) in the abdomen is made, you may need to stay in the hospital for 1 to 2 days. You may need to stay longer if the hysterectomy is done because of cancer.
You will no longer have periods. If your ovaries are removed during the hysterectomy, you may have other menopause symptoms. Change in sexual feelings. Some women have vaginal dryness or less interest in sex after a hysterectomy, especially if the ovaries are removed.
A hysterectomy is a major operation. You can be in hospital for up to 5 days after surgery, and it can take about 6 to 8 weeks to fully recover. Recovery times can also vary depending on the type of hysterectomy.
The length of a hysterectomy operation depends upon many factors, but in general lasts between 2 and 5 hours. With any laparoscopic surgery, there is always a potential for needing to convert to an open surgery with a larger incision if the hysterectomy cannot be completed with small incisions.
You may return to work in 2-4 weeks if your job requires a lot of movement. Please contact your doctor if you need any return to work letters or medical leave paperwork to be completed. If you had a laparoscopic or robotic hysterectomy, you will have small incisions on your abdomen.
You will not be able to do much for at least 3 weeks, or even longer if it is an abdominal surgery. Organise help for meals, domestic chores, childcare and pets. Make sure that your partner understands what to expect, so they can support you. TRUST YOUR BODY.
Gentle movement and walking are recommended soon after surgery to reduce the risk of blood clots. Don't lift anything heavy. Your incisions, both internal and external, need time to heal without added strain. This includes heavy housework, weight-lifting, strenuous exercise and even carrying your children.
Don't lift anything heavy for a full six weeks after the operation. Stay active after the surgery, but avoid strenuous physical activity for the first six weeks. Wait six weeks to resume sexual activity. Follow your care team's suggestions about returning to your usual activities.
Pain is generally minimal. You may feel some achiness and tenderness at the incision sites (if the surgery was performed laparoscopically). Most women will be advised to avoid heavy lifting and abstain from sex for at least six weeks.
You may find it more comfortable to hold your abdomen (provide support) the first one or two times your bowels move. If you do have problems opening your bowels, it may help to place a small footstool under your feet when you are sitting on the toilet so that your knees are higher than your hips.
What can i expect from an Abdominal Hysterectomy? You will be in hospital for about 3 days. It will be about 4 weeks to recover at home. Most women will return to work by the start of the 5th week.
Most surgeons advise women to get plenty of rest during the first few weeks after a hysterectomy, though it is important to get up and move around too. Light exercise, such as walking, helps get the bowels moving and may help reduce the risk of a blood clot.
Abdominal hysterectomy recovery time
You will likely spend two to three days in hospital. You will then need to spend another six to eight weeks recovering at home before you can return to all of your usual activities, which includes having sex.
Move around the house, shower, and use the stairs at home during the first week. If it hurts when you do something, stop doing that activity. Ask your provider about driving. You may be able to drive after 2 or 3 days if you are not taking narcotic pain drugs.
On average, patients are typically encouraged to sleep on their back in an elevated or reclined position for a few weeks after a robotic hysterectomy.
Leaving the cervix in place reduces the amount of time the patient is in surgery. While it used to be thought that a supracervical hysterectomy could reduce the likelihood of sexual dysfunction, recent studies have shown that there is no difference in this between total and supracervical hysterectomies.
Hysterectomy and Prolapse
A prolapse can occur during the early stages of hysterectomy recovery or many years following their hysterectomy surgery.
Laparoscopic hysterectomy normally only requires a 23-hour or less stay. Most patients go home the same day. In some cases, an overnight stay may be required. Expect some soreness around the surgical site during the first 24 to 48 hours following surgery.
Now women can simultaneously have hanging abdominal fat and skin removed (in a procedure known as a panniculectomy) to enhance their appearance, without an increased risk of complications.
The most common reasons for weight gain after a hysterectomy are a lack of exercise, proper diet, and focus on mental health post-operation.
About half a million hysterectomies are performed each year in the U.S. It is the second most common surgical procedure for women, after cesarean delivery (C-section). Most hysterectomies are performed between the ages of 40 and 50.