pelvisawareness_adminPelvic Health

How To Prepare For A Hysterectomy

You’ve just received the diagnosis: you need a hysterectomy.

The thought of surgery can be overwhelming, emotional and daunting. You likely have many questions, including how to prepare for a hysterectomy. 

Here’s everything you need to know.

What Is A Hysterectomy?

A hysterectomy is when you have surgery to remove your uterus and often your cervix as well. Depending on the reason for your hysterectomy, the procedure may also include the removal of surrounding organs and tissues, like your fallopian tubes and ovaries.1

After having a hysterectomy:1

  • You won’t be able to get pregnant.
  • You won’t get your menstrual period.
  • You enter menopause, if you haven’t already — if your ovaries are removed.

Why Do I Need a Hysterectomy?

A hysterectomy is used as a treatment for a variety of conditions. In some cases, it’s necessary. In other cases, it’s an option for you to consider and discuss with your doctor.

Here are some reasons your doctor may recommend a hysterectomy:1, 2

  • abnormal bleeding
  • severe pelvic pain
  • adenomyosis
  • painful periods, or heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding
  • severe endometriosis
  • gynecologic cancers, including cancer of the uterus, ovary, cervix or endometrium
  • uterine fibroids and other noncancerous tumors
  • uterine prolapse
  • serious complications of childbirth like a uterine rupture

What Kind of Hysterectomy Will I Have?

There are different kinds of hysterectomy surgeries, and the type of hysterectomy performed often depends on what the procedure is treating.

One way to define the hysterectomy is by what the surgeon removes. For instance, a partial hysterectomy removes only the uterus, leaving the cervix intact, while a total hysterectomy removes the uterus and cervix. The surgeon may or may not remove your ovaries and fallopian tubes in either of these cases.3

If your ovaries are left intact, you won’t enter menopause after surgery. However, a total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy means that your uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes and ovaries are all removed. The removal of your ovaries, which produce estrogen, means you will start menopause immediately, if you haven’t already started it.1

In the case of treatment for cancer, the surgeon may perform a radical hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. That includes the removal of your uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes, ovaries, the upper portion of your vagina, and some surrounding tissue and lymph nodes.1

How Will The Surgeon Perform My Hysterectomy?

Part of the preparation for — and recovery from — your hysterectomy will depend on how the surgeon performs the procedure.2

  1. Abdominal hysterectomy: Your uterus is removed through an incision in your abdomen. 
  1. Laparoscopic or robotic hysterectomy: This is less invasive, as your uterus is removed through several small incisions in your abdomen instead of one large one. 
  1. Hysteroscopic or vaginal hysterectomy: This is the least invasive approach, as your uterus is removed through an incision at the top of your vagina, so you don’t have any abdominal incisions.

How To Prepare For A Hysterectomy

You can likely guess that the different forms of hysterectomy will result in different preparations, outcomes and recovery times. In general, however, there are several things you can do to prepare for a hysterectomy.

Ask and Learn

Just reading this article is a form of preparation. The more you know, the more comfortable you should feel. Ask questions of your doctor, about the anesthesia in the case of an abdominal surgery; about the procedure itself; about the hospital stay and the recovery plan. Get clarity on the pre-op process, including any tests, as well as recovery and follow-up. Ask what you can do to make the procedure as successful as possible.4

Arrange for Help

You will likely have a hospital stay, in particular if you have an abdominal hysterectomy. With any form of the procedure, you should make plans to get help while you’re in the hospital, and also when you return home. Your recovery could take several weeks, and you will need to avoid driving, heavy lifting, and other manual tasks at home. Arrange for help and give yourself the time you need to recover properly.4

Practice Healthy Habits

If possible, exercise and get as fit as possible. Stop smoking, focus on eating healthy foods, and lose weight if necessary.4 You can also add pelvic floor muscles exercises, commonly known as “Kegels” to your daily routine. These are performed by contracting your pelvic muscles, like you would when you stop the flow of pee, creating a “pulling” feeling in your vaginal or rectal area. Contract your pelvic floor muscles for three seconds, followed by fully relaxing the muscles for three seconds. Work up to 10 to 15 repetitions each time you do Kegels.

Research shows that pelvic floor exercises can give you better control over your bladder and bowels, and prevent your pelvic muscles from getting weak, a benefit to women of any age.5

You can also use a tool to help you do them properly, like the Gynesis pelvic floor trainer shorts. These shorts use advanced technology to deliver targeted muscle stimulation that helps retrain and rebuild your pelvic floor. Ask your doctor about adding Kegels to your recovery plan, too.

How Long Will It Take to Recover From My Hysterectomy?

Your time to recovery will also depend on the type of surgery and how the procedure is performed. 

An abdominal hysterectomy is the most invasive, so the recovery time is also longer. You can expect to be in the hospital anywhere from one to three days. Your time to recover could be anywhere from six to twelve weeks, depending on the incision size and type.2

Laparoscopic or robotic procedures sometimes require one night in hospital, or you may go home the same day. Recovery time is shorter, from two to six weeks.4

A vaginal hysterectomy usually requires one or two nights in the hospital and about three to four weeks to recover.4

Your doctor and care team will have specific instructions for you to follow, but generally you need to get plenty of rest, and you should not lift anything heavy for a full six weeks after the operation. It’s ok to be somewhat active, but you should avoid strenuous physical activity for the first six weeks, and you should wait six weeks to resume having sex.4 You should also avoid putting tampons or other objects in your vagina, and avoid taking a bath or swimming in a pool for six weeks.1

Check with your doctor before resuming your regular activities, including when you can drive.4 

What Can I Expect After a Hysterectomy?

With any of the forms of hysterectomy, you can expect soreness and discomfort for a few weeks. Ask your surgeon about options for pain relief during your recovery, which could include pain medicines like acetaminophen.

Here are other common side effects:1

  • Vaginal bleeding and drainage that can last up to six weeks.
  • Soreness or irritation at the incision sites.
  • Difficulty peeing or pooping in the days following surgery.
  • Fatigue and tiredness from surgery.
  • If your ovaries are removed, you will enter menopause and may experience symptoms like hot flashes, insomnia, and vaginal dryness.

You should prepare yourself for emotional side effects as well. For some women, there could be relief from the symptoms that made the hysterectomy necessary. If you’ve had severe pain, or excessive bleeding, for instance, you may have positive feelings about your surgery. Your quality of life may improve, too. Some women are happy that they no longer have to worry about getting pregnant, or that they no longer have a period. 

Some women, however, experience a sense of loss after a hysterectomy, since they are unable to get pregnant. For those who enter menopause, there could be emotional impacts too, like increased anxiety or irritability, since menopause affects women in different ways. 

If you’re experiencing sadness, negative feelings, anxiety or other troublesome impacts from your hysterectomy, seek help from a health care provider. Don’t suffer in silence.4

Call Your Doctor 

After your hysterectomy, you should have follow-up appointments with your doctor. However, if one of these symptoms occur, see a healthcare provider immediately:1

  • Severe nausea or vomiting.
  • Bright red vaginal bleeding.
  • A fever over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • A burning feeling when you pee, trouble peeing, or frequent urination.
  • Increasing redness, swelling or drainage from your incision.
  • Increasing amounts of pain, in which your pain gets worse instead of better.

Use our Physician Finder to find a doctor near you with expertise in women’s health, who can answer all your questions about preparing for and recovering from a hysterectomy. Proper medical advice and treatment can help you get back to a healthy, active lifestyle.