Laparoscopic Hysterectomy Procedures on the Rise
Heather Maloney Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center staff
SEPTEMBER 01, 2012
For two years, 39-year-old mom Nancy Longobardi had suffered from intense abdominal pain. She was diagnosed with pelvic adhesions, from a prior cesarean section, andendometriosis, which is a pelvic pain condition where tissue from the uterine lining migrates and implants beyond the uterus - in the pelvic-abdominal cavity. After a procedure to remove scar tissue and treat the visible endometriotic implants, she felt better, but the pain returned within six months. So, she decided to have a hysterectomy performed laparoscopically.
A hysterectomy, the removal of a woman's uterus, is often recommended for patients with tumors in the uterus, such as fibroids; endometriosis; adenomyosis, a condition in which tissue that normally lines the uterus also grows within the muscular walls of the uterus; chronic pelvic pain or severe uterine bleeding. At the time of the hysterectomy, the ovaries and Fallopian tubes may be removed if indicated, a procedure called salpingo-oophorectomy.
Laparoscopic surgery is minimally invasive and is performed in the hospital under general anesthesia. Patients usually enjoy a shorter hospital stay, often going home the same or next day; a faster recovery period - an average of two weeks compared to six to eight weeks with a traditional hysterectomy; less post-operative pain and pain medication requirements, and less scarring compared to an open abdominal incision.
"The popularity of this procedure is on the rise," says Dr. Hye-Chun Hur, Director of the Division of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center . "Laparoscopic hysterectomies have become more popular in the last five to 10 years, and the number of laparoscopic procedures performed at BIDMC has increased multi-fold in just the last few years."
According to the Department of Health and Human Services , 600,000 hysterectomies are performed in the U.S. every year , and one third of American women will have the procedure by the time they turn 60. In fact, the hysterectomy is the second most common major operation that women undergo.
There are many different methods for hysterectomy, including abdominal, vaginal and laparoscopic approaches; the mode of surgery is dependent on many factors. Although many patients are candidates for laparoscopic surgery, not all women are, so it's important to discuss all of the options with your doctor.
Longobardi chose to have the laparoscopic procedure in part because the shorter recovery period would help her return to work and taking care of her kids. She is now back at work and feels great.
"I'm glad I did it," she says. "I would definitely recommend it."
She adds that women shouldn't be afraid to have the surgery if it means quality of life.
"I wanted my quality of life back," she says. "And now I have it."