What is the Recovery Time for a Hysterectomy?

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What is hysterectomy? Hysterectomy is defined as an operation that deals with the removal of the woman’s uterus. A woman is usually subjected to such surgical procedure due to several reasons which include the presence of uterine fibroids that causes pain, uterine prolapse or the sliding of the uterus to the vaginal canal, cancer of the uterus, cervix or ovaries, endometriosis or the inflammation of the endometrium, abnormal vaginal bleeding, chronic pelvic pain and as well as adenomysosis or the thickening of the uterus. However, hysterectomy is only considered as a final resort once all the other possible treatment approaches have been tried out without any success. Undergoing hysterectomy can give a huge impact to a woman’s life. Because of this, it is important for all women to know all about the important details pertaining to the mentioned operation and as well as the post-operative phase of the procedure. So what is the recovery time for a hysterectomy?

Understanding Hysterectomy Procedure
Recovery from hysterectomy procedure is not an easy task to deal with. Once a woman undergoes this kind of procedure, she is required to have proper rest and relaxation in order to regain energy and as well as to hasten the healing process of the operated area. The first thing that we should all know is that the recovery phase or time actually varies from one person to another and as well as from procedure to procedure. Every person is unique, which means our body also responds differently to trauma or stress. An abdominal hysterectomy is considered to be similar to a Cesarean section. Most women who underwent C-section in delivering a child experience severe pain hours after the actual operation. This is also similar to those who are on post hysterectomy procedure. Because of this, most women will be required to have pain medication for the first 48 hours after the procedure or surgery and can last for as long as two weeks. Aside from this, women who have undergone hysterectomy (without any complications) are expected to stay in the hospital for two days before they can return home to recover.

In addition to the facts mentioned above, there are also other types of hysterectomies. These include the laparoscopic hysterectomy, which is considered to be less painful than the surgical method of hysterectomy. Laparoscopic hysterectomy also provides easier recovery compared to the standard method or procedure. Some women who have undergone laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy claim that the recovery period is fast and some of them even returned to work after only 5 days. In short, the LSH or the laparoscopic hysterectomy provides faster recovery compared to the invasive surgery, which is the abdominal hysterectomy.

Nevertheless, it is still up to our body on how we respond to such procedure. Women must remember that recovery from hysterectomy can be fast once they provide help and support to their body. Drinking plenty of fluids is a very useful ways of speeding up the healing process as well as doing light or mild exercises in order to improve the blood circulation towards the incised area of the body. We should keep in mind that the better the blood circulation, the faster the wound healing would be. Doing these things will not only hasten the recovery period, but it can also help in making the body more comfortable in resuming normal activities.

Other Factors that Affect Recovery Period
Aside from the factors mentioned above, the recovery time also depends on the woman’s age and general health. Just like what is stated earlier, women who have undergone vaginal hysterectomy can leave the hospital after only 2 to 5 days. This, however, is only applicable to cases where there are no complications or problems related to the operation. A follow up check up is usually recommended by the doctor and is typically arranged from 6 to 12 weeks after the date of surgery. This check up will be useful in determining the progress of the healing process of the operated area. However, the check up will already be handled by the GP and not the surgeon.

Full recovery from abdominal hysterectomy usually takes 6 to 8 weeks. During this period, it is important for the person to rest in order to regain lost energy during the course of treatment. It is also important not to do heavy lifting since this can worsen the condition of the surgical incision. The abdominal muscles and tissues require sufficient time in order to heal effectively. Present health conditions can also affect the recovery especially women who are suffering from obesity or diabetes. Smoking can likewise delay the recovery period, which is why it is necessary for smoking women to stop the habit weeks or even months before the actual operation. For abdominal hysterectomy, an average of 6 to 8 weeks is required before returning back to normal activity or work. As for laparoscopic hysterectomy, only 2 weeks is expected for full recovery to occur.

These are just some of the facts about the hysterectomy procedure and as well as the expected recovery time for the said operation.