Procedure

You will have the surgery under general anaesthetic – this means you are asleep and do not feel any pain for the entire operation. A catheter is put into your bladder when you are asleep to drain urine from your bladder and lower the risk of injury to it during the operation.

Four incisions are made to your abdomen. The first of these is just below your umbilicus (womb-button). Carbon dioxide gas is put into your abdomen to lift the wall of your abdomen, so the surgeon has a clear view of your internal organs. An instrument, called a trocar, is put into your abdomen and a lighted telescopic camera (laparoscope) is inserted through this. The laparoscope magnifies the view of your abdomen so the surgeon can see your organs clearly on a screen.

Other surgical instruments needed for the operation are put through the other small incisions in your abdomen. The uterus is detached from its surrounding structures and removed in one piece through your vagina. This is why the operation is called a laparoscopic vaginal hysterectomy. The top of the vagina is then closed with sutures (stitches). The top of the vagina is now referred to as the vaginal ‘vault’. The operation takes about one hour.

Benefits

Making smaller incisions during laparoscopic surgery has several benefits, including:

1. less pain after the operation, which can be controlled with pain-relieving tablets or suppositories rather than a pain-relieving injection

2. less blood loss

3. smaller, less noticeable scars

4. a shorter stay in hospital (generally one to two days compared with three to four days after open surgery (surgery involving a large incision to the tummy).

5. wounds are quicker to heal and less likely to become infected

6. being able to return to normal activities and work faster than after open surgery.

Risks Involved

Like any other surgical procedure, keyhole surgery also carries small risks which occur in only three out of every 1,000 patients. Mr. Kunal Rathod will talk with you about these risks in more detail during the consultation and you will have an opportunity to ask questions.

Post Surgery

The catheter draining your bladder can sometimes be removed at the end of the operation to allow you to try and get out of bed sooner. Otherwise, it is removed the following morning.

The main differences are that you will have less pain with this type of surgery and will not need to stay in hospital for as long. We will give you painkillers to take home with you. We will ask you to rest at home and avoid any strenuous activities, such as shopping or vigorous exercise.

Next Steps

Mr. Kunal Rathod will see you 4-6 weeks after your operation to check the healing of the scars and to discuss the pathology result of the examination of your womb. Subsequent follow-up appointments will depend on how you are recovering from the surgery.

For more information about Laparoscopic Hysterectomy; click here: https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/patients/patient-leaflets/laparoscopic-hysterectomy/