Minimally Invasive Surgery - Laparoscopic Hysterectomy
Traditional hysterectomy, that is surgical removal of the uterus, has been performed either through an open cut in the abdomen or vaginally. Abdominal hysterectomy involves a long hospital stay and recovery period with post-operative pain comparable to other open surgeries.
Vaginal hysterectomy has the limitation of the inability to treat any associated pelvic disease, such as endometriosis, pelvic adhesions, or ovarian tumors. Also, if the uterus is very enlarged by fibroid tumors or adenomyosis, or bound down by adhesions, vaginal hysterectomy is technically difficult and may be unsafe.
The use of laparoscopic hysterectomy or laser laparoscopic hysterectomy allows the surgeon to take care of any pelvic pathology through the laparoscope, then remove the uterus, the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and associated pathology through another small cannula in the abdomen or through the vagina. In the case of a large fibroid uterus, the blood supply to the uterus can be controlled through the laparoscope to allow the uterus to be divided into smaller pieces to be removed without excessive bleeding.
Laparoscopic hysterectomy involves only two to three small incisions, less than a half inch in length, so the hospital stay usually is less than 24 hours and the post-operative down time and discomfort is much less than abdominal hysterectomy.