Explore Your Options for Hysterectomy

Your doctor may recommend a hysterectomy (removal of your uterus and possibly ovaries and fallopian tubes). A hysterectomy is the second most common surgery among women in the U.S. After a hysterectomy, women cannot have children, which is why this procedure may not be the right choice for everyone.

Meet with a provider at UPMC to receive the information you need to make an informed decision about a hysterectomy in Williamsport or Wellsboro, PA. 

Why Hysterectomies Are Performed

A woman may have a hysterectomy for different reasons, including:

• Endometriosis
• Uterine fibroids that cause pain, bleeding or other problems
• Chronic pelvic pain
• Uterine prolapse, which is a sliding of the uterus from its normal position into the vaginal canal
• Cancer of the uterus, cervix or ovaries
• Abnormal vaginal bleeding
• Adenomyosis, or a thickening of the uterus

Robotic Single-Site® Surgery at UPMC 

At UPMC, we offer a range of procedures for hysterectomy. You should discuss all options with your doctor to learn more about which procedure may be right for you.

• Vaginal hysterectomy. A vaginal hysterectomy is done through a cut in your vagina. The surgeon operates through this incision and closes it with stitches.
• Abdominal hysterectomy. During an abdominal hysterectomy (open surgery), your uterus is removed through a large open incision. The incision must be large enough for your surgeon’s hands to fit inside your body and reach for your organs.
• Laparoscopy. Laparoscopic surgery is minimally invasive. With traditional laparoscopy, your surgeon operates through a few small incisions using long instruments and a tiny camera to guide doctors during surgery. Another minimally invasive option is robotically-assisted da Vinci surgery. da Vinci technology provides your surgeon with enhanced vision, precision and control compared to traditional laparoscopy.*
• Single-Site®/Single Incision. Your uterus can also be removed through one small incision in your belly button using single-incision traditional laparoscopy or da Vinic Single-Site surgery. The surgery can be performed in about 1-2 hours and patients typically stay in the hospital less than 24 hours. Women are generally able to resume most normal activities within a few days versus a few weeks or months with other procedures. These procedures allow for virtually scarless results. **

* Single-Site® is available for benign conditions.
** With minimally invasive surgery, there are various options for removing the uterus. Your surgeon will recommend the option he/she things is best for you.
 

Robotic surgery is quite complex and involves a dedicated surgical team. In addition to the surgeon performing the procedure, a bedside surgical assistant along with a surgical nurse and anesthesia doctor complete the surgical team. It is important that this team work in unity to accomplish desired surgical outcomes.

Patient benefits of robotic assisted surgery may include:

• Significantly less pain
• Less blood loss
• Less scarring
• Shorter recovery time
• A faster return to normal activities

What to Expect

Hysterectomies are always performed in an operating room. Depending on the type of hysterectomy being performed, a surgeon may choose to remove part or all of the uterus.

While hysterectomies are considered low-risk surgeries, a small number of women may experience:

• Wound infection
• Blood clots
• Urinary incontinence
• Chronic pain
• An abnormal connection between the vagina and the bladder

Recovery After a Hysterectomy

If the ovaries are removed during a hysterectomy, a woman will enter menopause. Even if the ovaries were not removed, a woman is still at higher risk to go through menopause at an earlier age than she would have otherwise. 

Start on the path to gynecological health by Finding a Provider at UPMC.

UPMC is dedicated to treating gynecological conditions in women of all ages across northcentral PA.