Hysterectomy and after op

My hysterectomy was done robotically but I was told that it may need to be a larger incision depending on what they found inside.  Mine was fine and I went back to the ward with a catheter in place.  One overnight stay was all it took as the catheter was removed at 6am and I was able to get up and walk around, I had a shower before going home.

Recovery wasn’t bad at all, I just had to watch and not overdo things.  I had a holiday booked earlier in the year and it worked out for exactly 6 weeks after, however a doctor told me that going would be against medical advice so it was cancelled.  6 weeks later I felt fine and felt like I could have gone.

It’s natural to worry about what is going to happen but rest assured that the doctors and other medical professionals all have your best interests at heart and that you are safe.  I didn’t worry too much about the surgery and it was after waiting for the results which was the worst thing.  Someone on here told me that the surgery was getting rid of the cancer and it did help.

Please let us know how you are doing 

Linda x

The best people to ask are your CNS or consultant’s secretary - however here’s my interpretation:

total = including cervix (this is an extra)

abdominal = via abdominal not vaginal incisions (though the uterus is then removed via the vagina)

- and then robotic as the intended method but laparoscopic if that’s not possible.

January 22nd 2021 I walked to the operating theatre with the anaesthetist just after midday. Was back in recovery about half 3. Might sound a long time but I think the first part of the op is preparation and set up, and monitoring, the op about an hour or so (slightly longer if lymph nodes are sampled) and then the final part the layers of careful stitching, gluing and cleaning up. 

Immediately afterwards I noticed I had no dressings on my tummy and that the wounds were small and neat/clean. They were glued on top. I wasn’t wearing a pad but had one underneath me - it had a tiny spot of dry blood on it and that didn’t change. I didn’t need to wear pads post op. My tummy felt a little stretched and tender but wasn’t painful. The nurse helped me sip water through a straw. The 4 bed ward I was taken to had 3 ladies in it already and was quite noisy so when my lovely consultant came to see me soon after, he arranged for me to be moved to a quieter one - an empty 4 bed with just me in it! Wonderful! The nurse helped get my iPad and lead and plugged it in for me and I got my phone out to phone home. At that time I was especially glad of having brought my own pillow from home as it was familiar and helped me settle! I had paracetamol every 4 hours through the night but as soon as the catheter was out at 6am, I didn’t need any pain relief. I got out of bed and walked around or sat in the big comfy chair by the window and watched the sun rise and played word games on my tablets and caught up on social media and messages. I took walks up to the nurse station and back and walked to the loo.l saving my wee to show the nurse that I’d done it and that it was clear. I went home at lunchtime. Walked the 2-3 mins to the car rather than having my husband drive it round to me. I didn’t need any pain relief at home but took two paracetamol at bedtime just in case. Didn’t need any the following days either and stopped the bedtime paracetamol after a couple of days.

1. Thanks Linda I gave a cruise booked 12 weeks after operation so hoping I feel ok to go but can't even think about that till I get through this 

So abdominal means I'm having a large cut at the tummy maybe as a normal hysterectomy 

I'll call nurse Monday to ask 

Sorry meant fir Linda about holidays after op 

mollysue, that’s not what I said and not what your notes say either. With a laparoscopic or robotic hysterectomy there are small incisions to the abdomen, hence the word abdominal,

Every one of us who had laparoscopic or robotic will have been told that that was the aim, but it may change to OPEN surgery if it’s more complicated than anticipated. Open means a large incision not total. Total means the cervix going too. So we hope for the best but prepare in case of the other.

My holiday was the one thing that kept me going and I was determined to go.  It was the flight that I was told was against medical advice.

A cruise sounds lovely and plenty time to relax.  The only thing that might be a problem would be if you were to have adjuvant treatment but it can be put back until later.

Hi Mollysue

Abdominal means you either have small incisions in your abdomen and then have robotic or laparoscopic surgery ie everything is done with special instruments through these small holes and your uterus is then taken out through your vagina (which is what they are planning for you) or if that’s not possible a large vertical or horizontal incision where the uterus is taken out through that incision. I had a major abdominal operation when I was a teenager so there was too much scar tissue and things stuck together from that to see anything through the small incisions so I had a vertical cut. Most people who have a planned robotic or laparoscopic hysterectomy only have the small incisions.

Hope this explains 

Linda xx

Ah thanks I see now xx

Yes I'll just have to see what gyno says nearer the time