Ellen’s Robotic Hysterectomy

daVinci Robotic Hysterectomy
Age at Surgery 70
Location: Hauppauge, NY

On Oct. 23, 1017 I had a daVinci Robotic Hysterectomy. This was preceded by post menopausal bleeding in Aug. (lasting only 5 days).

Previously, in Aug. 2016, my gyn dr. did a colposcopy due to erratic pap smears, which showed that I had the HPV virus.
My gyn dr referred me to a gyn oncologist who did another colposcopy with the d&C and I was told I had dysplasia which would be monitored closely.

I was scheduled to see this dr. the following June, which showed via a pap smear that I still had the HPV which warranted monitoring.

However, in Aug. of 2017 when I developed bleeding (very pale pink, actually not much at all) I notified my gyn oncologist. I was seen and a biopsy was attempted, but dr. recommended vaginal ultrasound which showed endometrial thickening. I was then scheduled for another d&C with hysteroscopy (which is a camera that looks around for anything suspicious) I was told that it showed I had pre-cancerous cells, bordering on cancer. My dr. recommended a hysterectomy (total) done the DaVinci robotic method.
Pathology report showed I had Grade1- Stage1B endometrial cancer. My Doctor referred me to a radiation oncologist, who gave me the option of not doing anything (observing) or having 4 brachytherapy radiation treatments. I have just finished my 4 weeks of these treatments and pray that this will decrease my odds of recurrence.

I had the daVinci Robotic surgery using general anesthesia. My surgery was longer than was originally thought (lasted about 5-6 hours) due to some issue with my bladder being stuck to uterus.

I was in the hospital 1 night – discharged late morning. I was very tired when I got home but was able to sit up in a chair (with discomfort) I took Tylenol Extra Strength for pain for approximately 2-3 days.

I have 4 small incisions following the robotic hysterectomy. While I was uncomfortable for a few weeks and had difficulty turning in bed due to pain on my right side, I felt completely pain free exactly 5 weeks following surgery. So all and all that wasn’t too bad. There were some issues with gas pain a few days after I came home but I drank a lot of water and tried walking around the house which helped with this. Also, I took Colace for about 3 days to avoid constipation which also worked great.

My next step along this journey will be follow up visit with both doctors. My radiation oncologist will provide me with a dilator – as there could be vaginal shrinkage and this is necessary for examinations to be done. It’s not something I look forward to but as my dr. said, consider it part of your treatment.

I’m back to my activities (bowling, aerobics, shopping) with no issues.

My health has been pretty normal since my hysterectomy, although I find that I’m still tired in the afternoon and sometime want to take a nap around 2p.m.

Following the hysterectomy, I lost about 6 pounds, but now find that the weight is slowing returning. I plan to watch my diet so that I can lose some weight in the future.

I think every woman has to assess why she is in need of a hysterectomy. If there are other choices, then I would discuss with a few doctors before making my decision.

In my case, I felt very comfortable with the gyn oncologist. I didn’t want to get another opinion as I had complete trust in her.

Also, if you are told that you have pre-cancer, bordering on cancer, you want to address it as quickly as possible.

I didn’t like the prospect of this major surgery, but ultimately felt this was the only choice I had.

I’m glad the surgery is over, as well as my recovery and am hopeful that I will not have a recurrence.

Shutterstock.com/By MJTH