Laparoscopic hysterectomy - prep and recovery

[wordywitch]

I’ll be having a laparoscopic hysterectomy this summer for adenomyosis and would love to chat to others who have had this done recently or are also on a waiting list to have one.

I plan to keep my ovaries so hopefully won’t be thrown into menopause straight away (I’m 45) but was told that it’s a possibility it may happen anyway. Has this happened to anyone?

I am also trying to work on losing weight and getting fit before the op and am wondering whether there are specific exercises that are recommended to do before and after?

If you are on Facebook there is a great group called Hysterectomy Sisters UK. I had an abdominal hysterectomy last October and found it very helpful. Hope it all goes well for you and that your quality of life is much improved afterwards

I had one last year but a total hysterectomy. They give you the exercises afterwards. I had a robotic laparoscopic as recovery is shorter. Well it would have been had I not got the antibiotics I ASKED for to go home with to prevent a UTI which took months to get rid of.

I had a total hysterectomy for endo and adeno 18 months ago and its the best thing I ever had done. I was home the next day, had to rest for a few days, no lifting anything heavy or driving for 6 weeks which drove me mad but I recovered really well with no issues at all.

I was 46. My consultant recommended I have my ovaries removed at the same time, which I did. Recovery was good, though first few days were hard and I was exhausted for several weeks. I recommend sleeping propped up as getting up was tricky and stock up on deflatine as the trapped wind is grim. I was back in work 2 weeks after albeit going slowly and not able to do everything. Best thing I ever did.

I had a vaginal hysterectomy at 45 and kept my ovaries. All my peri menopause symptoms disappeared overnight and I feel much better overall two years on. Apart from tiredness, recovery was a lot better than I anticipated. I had 6 weeks off work. Best thing I ever did.

Thank you for all the positive and reassuring words, and the tips for recovery. I have never had a major surgery before so am a bit nervous but cannot WAIT to be rid of it.

@JockyWilsonsaid Did you start having menopause symptoms straight away? My consultant recommended having my ovaries out too but the thought of being thrown into menopause while recovering from surgery sounded awful which is why I opted to keep mine.

I was already in perimenopause before the op. I had tentatively expected to wake up like the people on Cocoon the following morning but it wasn't quite so radical. I had an increase in hot flushes within a couple of days, but went home with a prescription for HRT - I started that two days after the op so I don't really know how good/otherwise my experience was or could have been. I was very emotional for a long time after the op but I think that was part anaesthetic, part relief after a few terrible years gynaecologically and part 'end of an era'. The consultant said that ovaries aren't doing a lot from that point on but can cause more trouble than outweighs their benefit, hence my decision.

Hi i am getting a hysterectomy done this summer. Roughly mid July. Its through laparoscopic and im keeping my ovaries. I am a secondary teacher and womdering what the recovery is like and how long will I need to be off work.
Thanks!

Funny you should post on this thread today as I finally got my date for surgery today (late July) and was going to come back to ask the same question. Good luck with yours!

Yes I seen your post! I havnt had a date through yet but Im doing it privately. I am researching recovery times and getting so many different answers so really dont know what to expect! Also apologies as I dont know how to reply your post!

I had mine mid August and was back in school exactly 2 weeks later, although could be on an easier schedule for a couple of weeks as I don't have a class. Within 6 I was pretty much completely normal. I'm in primary rather than secondary.

Thank you JockyWilson. I need to stop researching as I have been reading recovery time is taking 10 weeks or more which seems alot. I suppose everyone is different. I am expecting 4 weeks as a minimum and then taking it from there.

I had TLH on the 2nd June so I’m into week three of recovery and I’ve been really blessed to have no complications (aside from extra long operation which was to avoid cutting me open and an episiotomy) and it’s going really well, no infections or ruptures. My attitude to recovery is that I get one shot at doing it carefully and completely, without screwing it up, so I’m taking it patiently. I have been surprised by my mobility but you know when you’ve done too much and it feels like that boundary is reached quite quickly in the early days.

Any effort to lose weight before surgery will always be helpful. I didn’t lose as much as I hoped but I’m grateful for all the work I did a long time ago on arms and legs as I’ve used those muscles to support me while my stomach muscles are sort of out of action. I kept my ovaries and have been blessed again that they’re keeping on and I haven’t had instant menopause - I did read there was a chance they might pack up from the shock. And of course - pelvic floor exercises all day every day!! Good luck, I’m already massively grateful I’ve had it done and excited about what my life will be like once I’ve recovered. The short term recovery is 6 weeks (for stitches to heal), the longer is 3 months (for full internal mending) but I’m giving myself 6 months to get back on track so I don’t rush things.

Hey so had my keyhole hysterectomy done on Tueaday. Once night stay and back home on Wednesday. Just tired and sore but mainly due to excess gas. Everything went well and taking 6 weeks off as being teacher I am on my feet alot. Only thing scares me is the tear in the vagina cuff. Been reading horror stories so trying not to research too much but can't stop thinking about it. Any advice?

I had mine 9 days ago and it’s been tough. The surgery was a little more complicated because my adenomyosis makes the uterus larger so I bled more than normal and they also found endometriosis which they removed. I stayed overnight in hospital and went home the next day.

Around day 4 my pain was actually getting worse not better, which I put down to constipation and wind or coming off the opioids, but by day 6 I knew something was wrong and called 111. Ended up having an ambulance sent out and went back in hospital, where a CT scan showed I had a collection of fluid around the internal surgical site and my bloods showed signs of infection. I’ve been in hospital since having IV antibiotics and getting on top of the pain. I’m hoping to go home today. Apparently the chance of this happening is 1-3% so I just got unlucky.

So sorry WordyWitch that you had to go through that. I hope they have sorted it out and you get home soon and recover well. Like you said you got unlucky and it's one of those things. Keeping you in my thoughts for a speedy recovery and praying it all goes well from now on. X