By the age of 60, one in three women will have undergone a hysterectomy.

Unfortunately, many women undergo an invasive procedure called an abdominal hysterectomy. This procedure requires a large incision in the abdomen. Abdominal hysterectomies unnecessarily cause increased pain, additional time in the hospital, and a longer recovery time for hundreds of thousands of women in the United States.

So, what other hysterectomy choices do women have?

In the late 1980’s, the first vaginal hysterectomy with laparoscopic assistance was accomplished. The laparoscope was used to perform a less invasive surgery when “open” abdominal surgery would have been required. Over the last fifteen years, major advances in laparoscopic techniques and technologies have allowed many surgeons to do the vast majority of hysterectomies with less invasive approaches including:

• Vaginal hysterectomy
• Laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy
• Total laparoscopic hysterectomy
• Laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy

The healing time required to resume normal activities is two to three times less with laparoscopy and has far reaching economic benefits for both the individual patient as well as society.