What Is Gynaecological Surgery?
Gynaecological surgery covers procedures on the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix and vagina. Some are diagnostic, used to find the cause of symptoms, while others treat a condition directly. Where possible, minimally invasive techniques are used, which tend to mean smaller scars and a quicker return to normal activities.
Which Procedures Are Most Common?
- Laparoscopy: keyhole surgery through small cuts in the abdomen, used to diagnose and treat endometriosis, remove ovarian cysts or check the fallopian tubes
- Hysteroscopy: a thin camera passed through the cervix to examine the inside of the uterus and remove polyps or small fibroids
- Myomectomy: removal of fibroids while keeping the uterus
- Hysterectomy: removal of the uterus, often possible through keyhole surgery or vaginally
- Prolapse repair and continence procedures, through urogynaecology methods
- LLETZ: removal of abnormal cells from the cervix after an abnormal pap smear
How Should You Prepare For Surgery?
Before your operation, Dr Makanda will go through the expected benefits and possible risks of the procedure, and you will be asked to sign a consent form. Tell the team about all the medicines and supplements you take, particularly blood thinners, which may need to be paused.
You will usually need to stop eating six hours before surgery and arrange for someone to drive you home. Most medical aids need to authorise a procedure in advance, so contact your scheme as soon as a date is set.
What Is Recovery Like?
Recovery depends on the type of surgery. After a hysteroscopy or diagnostic laparoscopy, most women go home the same day and return to light activity within a few days. A laparoscopic hysterectomy usually means one or two nights in hospital and around four to six weeks before normal activities resume, while open abdominal surgery takes longer.
Mild shoulder-tip pain after laparoscopy is common and is caused by the gas used during the procedure. Contact the rooms if you develop a fever, heavy bleeding, worsening pain or redness around a wound.
Surgery is one option among several. For many conditions, including heavy menstrual bleeding, non-surgical treatment is usually tried first. To find out whether an operation is the right next step for you, book a consultation.