Traditionally, many conditions affecting the uterus are treated with hysterectomy - the surgical removal of the uterus. Hysterectomy may offer a life-saving treatment for serious conditions such as cancer or uncontrollable bleeding. In most cases, however, hysterectomy is an elective procedure performed to relieve chronic pain, bleeding or other disabling conditions.
The single-port laparoscopic technique allows for the removal of the uterus through a small incision, about ¾ an inch long, in the belly button. To perform this procedure, A SILS™ port is inserted through the incision. The port is a soft and flexible instrument equipped with three distinct openings allowing for the use of three surgical devices at the same time. The single-site hysterectomy can be a same-day procedure, but usually requires a one night stay in the hospital. Because there is only one small incision, pain during recovery is mild or minimal, and patients are often able to return to work just weeks after surgery compared to the longer recovery time often associated with an open hysterectomy.
A hysterectomy is surgery to remove a woman's uterus or womb. The uterus is organ in which the fetus develops when a woman is pregnant. After a hysterectomy, you no longer have menstrual periods and can't become pregnant. Sometimes the surgery also removes the ovaries and fallopian tubes. If you have both ovaries taken out, you will enter menopause.
Your health care provider might recommend a hysterectomy if you have: