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Information about uterine fibroids
Minimally Invasive Therapy Unit & Endoscopy Training Centre
University Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Royal Free Hospital
Pond Street
Hampstead
London NW3 2QG, UK |
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Vaginal hysterectomy
Vaginal
hysterectomy, as the name suggests, is done
through the vagina and leaves no external scars.
It is a common misconception that this type
of hysterectomy is done using "suction"!
It is not. Vaginal hysterectomy is carried
out using the same surgical principles
as abdominal hysterectomy, the difference
being that the surgery starts around the
cervix in the vagina rather than the abdomen.
Surgery takes about the same time as abdominal
hysterectomy, and the ovaries can be removed
if indicated. In contrast, recovery as
judged by hospital stay and return to normal
activities is generally much faster. In
the USA, some gynaecologists are even doing
vaginal hysterectomy as a day case procedure!
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PROS
No external scars
Complications usually less likely than with abdominal hysterectomy
Relatively fast recovery |
CONS
Not suitable if the fibroids
are very large or there is scar tissue
in the pelvis
Subtotal hysterectomy may not be possible |
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MEDICAL NOTES
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Laparoscopy
Laparoscopy
is direct visual examination of the inside of the abdomen,
using a viewing device that can be passed through a
small cut in the abdominal wall. The device, called
a laparoscope, usually has fibre-optic illumination
and viewing channels. A miniature camera is usually
attached to allow the procedure to be monitored on
a colour screen.
Laparoscopy
can be used by any specialist concerned with disease
of the abdominal organs. It is used for diagnosis by
general surgeons, and by gynaecologists for the investigation
of disorders of the female reproductive organs in the
pelvis. It can help to diagnose conditions that are
difficult to identify with certainty in any other way
short of an exploratory abdominal operation, such as
endometriosis and adhesions. With the use of small
instruments, laparoscopy can also be used to perform
surgery formally done by laparotomy (large incision). |
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