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When faced with the need for a hysterectomy, it is normal to have questions about your surgery.
How long will I be in the hospital?
How soon can I resume my life?
After I’ve healed, will I have a scar?
Now, there’s a surgical option for hysterectomy that can help alleviate many of these concerns. With a single incision hidden in the belly button, the SILS™ hysterectomy means that women can breathe a sigh of relief as they will potentially have fewer incisions, less pain and no visible scarring.
Fewer/Smaller Incisions
For women who undergo the SILS™ hysterectomy, the single incision in the belly button avoids the large incision made in the lower abdomen involved in typical open hysterectomy and the multiple small incisions required for standard laparoscopic surgery.
Potential for No Visible Scar
The SILS™ procedure requires only a single incision that is slightly smaller than the diameter of a nickel. By hiding this small incision within the belly button, the SILS™ hysterectomy may eliminate the visible scars typically associated with surgery.
Possible Reduction in Pain and Recovery Time
The SILS™ hysterectomy may reduce the wound pain when compared to traditional abdominal and laparoscopic procedures. Because the SILS™ approach only requires a small incision in the belly button, women can avoid the trauma associated with additional cutting through multiple layers of skin, muscle and connective tissue required to access the uterus, an aspect of other surgical options that may require extra time to heal. The minimally invasive nature of this approach may also result in the potential for reduced recovery time.
Types of Hysterectomies
Hysterectomies typically fall into three categories, all of which can be performed using the SILS™ technique
Subtotal Hysterectomy
If the reason for the hysterectomy is to remove fibroids, treat abnormal bleeding or relieve chronic pelvic pain, it may be possible to remove only the uterus and leave the cervix. Doctors use this procedure, known as a supracervical hysterectomy (or partial hysterectomy), to remove the least amount of tissue from the uterus and the opening to the cervix remains intact . This type of procedure can also be performed using the SILS™ surgical technique.
Total Hysterectomy
A total hysterectomy, sometimes referred to as a simple hysterectomy, involves the removal of the entire uterus and the cervix. The ovaries are not removed and continue to secrete hormones. Total hysterectomies can be performed in the case of uterine and cervical cancer. This is the most common kind of hysterectomy and can be performed using the SILS™ surgical technique.
Sometimes, in addition to a total hysterectomy, a procedure called a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy is performed to remove the ovaries and the fallopian tubes. Removal of the ovaries eliminates the main source of the hormone, estrogen, so menopause occurs immediately. Removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes is performed in about one-third of hysterectomy operations, often to treat or reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. This procedure can also be performed using the SILS™ surgical technique.
Radical Hysterectomy
While not represented in the diagram above, radical hysterectomies are performed in the case of cervical cancer or endometrial cancer. Because the spread of cancer is unpredictable, a radical hysterectomy may be chosen in order to remove the uterus, cervix (the top part of the vagina), ovaries, fallopian tubes, lymph nodes, lymph channels and tissue in the pelvic cavity that surrounds the cervix. Radical hysterectomy patients can also benefit from the SILS™ surgical technique.
Depending on your medical condition, your doctor will talk with you about the best surgical option for your optimal recovery. The new, minimally invasive SILS™ hysterectomy may offer significant benefits, including one incision, as well as the potential for no visible scar, faster recovery time and less pain.
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