Hysterectomy is a medical term given for uterus removal surgery. As the name suggests, hysterectomy is performed to remove uterus in case of uterus cancer or any other major uterus related disorder. The procedure of hysterectomy is considered to be quite safe and takes few hours for completion.
Hysterectomy can be performed by using three different methods - vaginal hysterectomy, abdominal hysterectomy and laparoscopic hysterectomy. In vaginal hysterectomy, the procedure is performed through an incision that is made on vagina. In abdominal hysterectomy, the procedure is performed through incision made on abdomen. In lapaaroscopic hysterectomy, three or four small incisions are made on the abdominal region through which an instrument called as a laparoscope (thin, flexible tube to which high resolution camera and light is attached to its front part) is inserted.
Time taken to complete vaginal or abdominal hysterectomy is approximately an hour or so while that to complete laparoscopic hysterectomy is two hours. Patient may be required to stay in the hospital for few days post surgery for healing and recovery and to address complications if they arise after the surgery.
Patient may experience symptoms like vaginal discharge, bleeding, vaginal infection etc. for few days post surgery. If these symptoms persist for a longer duration, better consult with your doctor to understand the reason behind it.
Recovery time depends on which type of hysterectomy was performed. Certain rules you need to abide by for increasing rate of healing are to avoid lifting heavy objects and refrain from doing exercises which strain pubic muscles. You may consult with your doctor to know when it is safe to have sexual intercourse.