A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus and is typically performed by a gynecologist. There are both total (when the uterus and cervix of the uterus are removed) and supracervical (cervix left in tact) hysterectomies. A hysterectomy is often recommended for several reasons including certain reproductive cancers, intractable endometriosis, adenomyosis, placenta praevia, placenta preceta, abnormal bleeding and fibroids to name a few.
In the past, the only option for a hysterectomy was an open hysterectomy which involved a large incision in the bikini line through multiple abdominal layers to reach the surgical site. This process usually puts women in the hospital for 2 or 3 days and several months of recovery at home. Later, advances in laparoscopy allowed for the ability to perform a laparoscopic hysterectomy which had the advantages of less recovery time and smaller incisions.
Now, with the use of da Vinci Surgical Systems, we are now able to perform this a robotic assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy (RALH). This type of hysterectomy is much more precise and minimizes recovery time to one or two weeks on average. A robotic hysterectomy results in less post-operative pain, less trauma and blood loss, minimal scarring and faster recovery.
