Had A Hysterectomy? What Can You Expect?

The very first thing that happens is you will go straight into a surgical menopause. That in itself can be quite a shock to the body, and after the operation your stay in hospital and recovery time will vary.

What will influence this is the type of procedure that you have had as the term hysterectomy covers quite a few things. You may want to get back to your normal activities straight away, but that time can very considerably.

Let’s look at what that might be.

Abdominal hysterectomy

This is the most common and most women go home 2-3 days after surgery, but complete recovery takes from six to eight weeks.

During this time, you need to rest at home and shouldn’t do any tasks until you talk with your doctor about restrictions.

Generally that means no lifting for the first two weeks and after that avoid lifting anything heavier than 10 pounds (about a gallon of milk) for at least 6 weeks afterwards a hysterectomy to allow internal tissues and abdominal muscles to heal

Walking is encouraged, but no heavy lifting, such as groceries, children, or laundry, because it increases the risk of tearing stitches. If not sure, don’t do it!

Six weeks is also the time when you can resume your usual daily activities and that includes sex.

Vaginal or laparoscopic assisted hysterectomy

These are less surgically invasive than an abdominal procedure, and recovery can be as short as two weeks.

Most women come home the same day or the next BUT the same restrictions apply as for an abdominal hysterectomy.

Walking is encouraged, but no heavy lifting and you will need to abstain from sex for at least 6 weeks.

Laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (LASH)

This procedure is the least invasive and can have a recovery period as short as six days to two weeks. It removes the uterus while leaving the cervix intact and often used for benign conditions such as fibroids or heavy bleeding.

Walking is encouraged, but not heavy lifting..

Post hysterectomy concerns 

The vast majority of cases will have no follow-up issues, but these are the things to be aware of and look out for.

• Fever or chills
• Heavy bleeding or unusual vaginal discharge
• Severe pain
• Redness or discharge from incisions
• Problems urinating or having a bowel movement
• Shortness of breath or chest pain

Call your doctor if you have any of these symptoms with any type of hysterectomy.

What about side effects?

If your ovaries were removed with the uterus, your doctor will usually suggest HRT but your age and medical history are factors to consider when deciding on this Imagine and there are other options available such as bioidentical hormones.

I do hear regularly from women who have been offered other options after hysterectomy, such as antidepressants or blood pressure medication, but all options need to be considered in relation to your own personal circumstances.

Some women experience pain during intercourse after a hysterectomy so lubricants can be helpful as can vaginal oestrogen or a bioidentical oestrogen cream.

Pelvic weakness sometimes develops after a hysterectomy, particularly if you had some pelvic weakness before surgery, and this can result in bladder or bowel problems.

Kegel exercises can help strengthen pelvic muscles to help control urinary incontinence problems and there are many instructional videos on the Internet or Youtube.

What to expect in recovery

For most, life without a uterus means relief from the symptoms that caused them to have a hysterectomy — bleeding, pelvic pain, and abdominal bloating.

With relief from those symptoms, you may have better sex – with greater libido, frequency, and enjoyment.

Yet if the ovaries were removed, there are a few more challenges ahead. If you had not gone through menopause before your hysterectomy, you probably will begin having symptoms of menopause such as hot flushes and mood swings.

Helpful information: 

It is vitally important that you follow the recommended recovery guidelines in terms of how quickly you can get back to normal.

These are intended to help you and so trying to do too much, lifting things that you should not or heavy housework, will not speed your recovery but put it back.

Take advantage of all the help you are offered and make taking care of yourself a high priority

Your body is adjusting to changes in hormone levels and so ensuring you have good levels of both progesterone and oestrogen will be needed as post surgery hormonal symptoms can start to occur.

Also, you may feel a sense of loss or depression and may grieve over your ability to have children.

These feelings are normal so talk about them to a friend, your doctor and/or a counsellor and always ask for help if you need it.

If you are not sure which hormones may be lacking after hysterectomy, this article will be helpful.

https://anna.blog.wellsprings-health.com/what-hormones-do-you-need-after-a-hysterectomy-2/