Your experience of hysterectomy

[LyndzB]

I'm 34 and would like a hysterectomy. I have painful periods and PNDD. I've also suffered a prolapse recently and I'm in pain and incontinent. I'm thinking of getting a hysterectomy privately (my parents have extremely kindly offered to pay) but I wanted to know your experience of it? Thanks so much in advance!

Shameless follow as interested in this too

Its a tough operation. I had it done via the abdomen ie not keyhole (had a large fibroid that ruled out keyhole).

I was in hospital 2 nights and off work for 3 months. I was in a lot of discomfort for about 2/3 weeks then gradually improved. For about the first 3-4 weeks youre advised to do a little light exercise e.g. walking but don t lift anything heavier than ss kettle or fo stuff like changing beds or hoovering that would involves lot of bending.

I had uterus and cervix out but my ovaries were left so my periods stopped but other menopausal symptoms come later.

You need to give it a LOT of thought. I don't have kids, would have liked them but it didn't happen but I was 49 so was realistic enough to know it wasn't going to happen.

Do you have support at home? A partner or can you stay with your parents? You really need help at home at least for the first month

I was 33 and like Spidey66 I had an abdominal hysterectomy.
Quite honestly it was the best thing ever, despite the discomfort for a couple of weeks or so.
I had very little help, I did have a cleaner in for a couple of months and my DCs were 4 and 6.

My experience was very positive. I had an abdominal operation including ovary removal. I was up within 24 hours, home within 48 hours and I was back at work after 7 weeks. After the first three or four days, the post-operative pain was far less than the pain I'd been in before the operation.

Mine was done privately (covered by insurance) and cost about £6k five years ago. The initial consultation with the consultant cost £200 - she booked me in there and then for her next free slot which was about two weeks later.

Re. your prolapse - I don't know if that would be benefited by a hysterectomy. Prolapse is a possible side-effect of the operation - you need to do pelvic floor physio afterwards. If your prolapse is vaginal, bear in mind you'll no longer have your womb holding your vagina in place. Where your cervix is, you will just have a 'cuff'. So this is something you should ask about in detail when you have your initial consultation.

Overall I thoroughly recommend the operation - as long as it will meet your specific needs, it is well worth it.

I had one in January, cut vertically above belly button to just above my public line (large fibroid). I had everything out. My scar is a mess, really quite wide at the base and raised by my belly button. I was in three night (I was begging to come home). The first couple of times you sit up are grim, and I still get some soreness around my belly button but apart from that it isn’t so bad. The wind post op is agonising - much worse than anything else. I also now have a weird pouch of tummy fat and have put on weight around my tummy so have gone up a jeans size. Walk as much as you can after. Mine was private (health insurance) and it was around 8k on the bills. Hystersisters is a good website for daily support. I’m early 40s and had 7 weeks off work. Good luck.

Just to add, my incision was horizontal - it's in the crease between my pelvis and tum. 5 years on, it's barely visible. You can't get it wet for the first few weeks but it wasn't hard to shower around it.

Oh, the joy of my first proper bath afterwards (I am a bath person). You will bleed for a few weeks as you heal inside but once that's stopped you are forever done with sanitary towels!

Best thing I've ever done
40 yrs old
NHS but done in a private hospital
Keyhole
Ovaries left
One night in the hospital.
Very little pain
I was very strict with myself about 6weeks rest.
I did find my back suddenly started playing up - so I should have done more core exercises whe I was healed

Life changing. Had mine done at 38 due to endometriosis and adenomyosis. Keyhole. One night in hospital. Pretty much back to normal in 2 weeks, driving after a week, back to work in 3 weeks. Started HRT patches straight away, no issues.

I had a hysterectomy for continuous bleeding and fibroids in 2017, I was 48.

I had key hole surgery and was in hospital for 24 hours. First 2 weeks were the hardest, lots of sleeping, very slow walks. I was driving after 4 weeks and back at work in 6 weeks. Back doing spin classes and running after 8 weeks.

Never looked back, best thing I ever did.

Thank you so much everyone for sharing your experiences. I have an appointment with doctor in a few days and this has really helped me prepare! It's always so much better gaining insight into the experiences from women who have actually gone through it!

It's lovely to hear that for many of you it was the right thing and you've never looked back. Thank you!

I had a private hysterectomy this year, vaginal hysterectomy and left my ovaries in, I also had prolapse surgery at the same time. 2 nights in hospital and then home. After years of pain it’s been the best thing ever, recovery was way easier than I expected! I’m 52 and say go for it if you can afford it!

I had a vaginal procedure at the age of 52. I had my ovaries removed and went straight on to HRT.
I spent one night in hospital and was allowed home once the catheter was out and I had done a wee!
Like others have said, it was the best decision. I had numerous fibroids and was bleeding so heavily every month.