Alternative Hysterectomy offers women less invasive option

May 31 , 2007 — More than 600,000 women who undergo hysterectomies each year could face less pain, scarring and recovery time with a new minimally invasive surgical technique offered by a Chesapeake Health physician.

In the Laparoscopic Supracervical Hysterectomy, Dr. Peter J. Kemp cuts three to four tiny incisions in the naval and abdomen. A thin, lighted telescope-like instrument that transmits a video signal and small surgical instruments are then inserted through the incisions.

The surgeon separates the uterus from the cervix then excises thin pieces and removes them through one of the incisions. This leaves the cervix, or the bottom portion of the uterus, intact which may help support the pelvis and avoid future surgery. The large, visible scarring normally associated with an “open” surgery is minimalized.

The procedure can be completed on an outpatient basis, usually allowing a woman to be home recovering within 24 hours and back to normal activities in a week. A traditional hysterectomy is performed through a cut in the abdomen or the vagina, and the entire uterus and cervix is removed. This procedure is invasive and can require lengthy recovery.

“This is changing the way that women look at this very personal procedure,” said Kemp. “Women can undergo this procedure and return home within 24 hours, with only Band Aids to cover their small incisions, which is quite a contrast to traditional hysterectomies.”