Expert View Recovery After Hysterectomy: What You Need to Know

An ob-gyn shares tips to speed Hysterectomy recovery in the hospital and at home.

Dr. Shana Miles

Hysterectomy is one of the most common surgeries in the United States, with hundreds of thousands done each year. Removing the uterus can be part of the recommended treatment for uterine fibroidsabnormal uterine bleedingendometriosis, gynecologic cancers, and other health conditions.

I’m a minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon, which means I specialize in doing big surgeries like hysterectomy through tiny incisions. This is a modern and safe technique that makes healing faster. But it also makes it easy to underestimate how long it takes to truly recover.

If you are considering or planning for a hysterectomy, here is what I want you to know—plus, what you can do to speed your recovery at home.

Not Your Grandmother’s Hysterectomy

Your knowledge of hysterectomy may be based on your mother’s or grandmother’s experience. Historically, doctors did the surgery through a large vertical or horizontal incision, opening your whole abdomen.

But over the last few decades, hysterectomies have evolved into a much less invasive and more manageable outpatient surgery. While some hysterectomies are still done with open surgery, today’s surgeries are more likely to be done through the vagina or with tiny incisions in the abdomen. If we make any incisions, they are usually 1 centimeter (half an inch) or less. You’ll start feeling better much sooner than with open surgery. Indeed, most of my patients are surprised to learn they can go home the same day.

So it’s easy to forget you’ve been through major surgery. You may have tiny incisions on the outside, but a huge change has happened on the inside. Removing the uterus puts stress on the entire body. You need to give yourself time to heal and not jump back into your normal routine too quickly.

Ways to Help Yourself Heal from a Hysterectomy

Recovering from hysterectomy begins before you arrive at the hospital and continues for weeks afterward. Throughout that time, your health care team works together to help you recover as quickly as possible. They follow research-based protocols—some seen, some unseen—that are intended to:

You, too, have an important role to play in your care. Here are some things you can do to speed your recovery from hysterectomy. Guidance may vary based on your age, mobility, and other factors.

Before Surgery

Don’t hesitate to ask questions during your preoperative visits. The answers can help you feel less overwhelmed the day of the surgery and more prepared when it’s time to go home.

The first 24 hours after Hysterectomy surgery

You may feel groggy, nauseous, and bloated when you wake from surgery. In the first few hours, the goal is to keep you comfortable and manage your pain while minimizing other complications.

woman clenching heating pad for hysterectomy recovery

Your time at home

You may be ready to head home if you can walk on your own and eat without trouble, and if your pain is well controlled. If all goes well, chances are good you’ll be discharged the same day as your hysterectomy.

If you feel out of breath or extra tired, it could be a sign you’re trying to do too much too soon. Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing could also be a sign of a clot in your lungs. If you are short of breath even while resting, call your ob-gyn or go to the nearest emergency room. And if you notice heavy vaginal bleeding, fever, or have any other concerns, call your ob-gyn right away.

The Road to Hysterectomy Recovery

We’ve come a long way in improving the experience for patients undergoing hysterectomy and other surgeries. You’ll feel better and get to go home sooner than older generations did—but healing is still hard work. Talk with your health care team about what to expect before, during, and after your hysterectomy. We all share the same goal: To help you feel like yourself again, as soon as possible.

 
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