Jan from Waterford

LSH – The Surreal Hysterectomy

The thought of having a hysterectomy is a scary proposition for most women. But with new, less invasive procedures available today, it doesn’t have to be.

For women suffering from chronic pain or abnormal bleeding, laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (LSH) is a welcome alternative to traditional hysterectomy. Patients who’ve had LSH can’t believe how painless it is and how quickly they’re able to return to their normal routines.

Jan from Waterford describes her experience with LSH as a “surreal” one: “Mine was done on a Friday evening. I went home Saturday AM, and I could have gone back to work Monday. There was no pain whatsoever. It almost felt like nothing had been done.”

[pull-quote:] Unlike open abdominal hysterectomy, LSH requires only three small incisions … so there’s less scarring, less discomfort and less recovery time.

This is no surprise to Dr. Jonathan Zaidan, an OB/GYN with POH who specializes in minimally invasive surgery and was one of the first in Oakland County to perform laparoscopic hysterectomy. “Patients are usually out of the hospital in less than 24 hours and back to work in only a week or two,” says Zaidan.

Unlike open abdominal hysterectomy which leaves a big scar and requires a three-day hospital stay and up to 6-8 weeks for recovery, LSH requires only three small incisions in the abdomen and navel to remove the uterus. So there’s less scarring, less discomfort and less recovery time.

LSH also keeps the cervix intact. This reduces the risk of pelvic floor prolapse and other complications associated with total hysterectomy. “A lot of women are concerned that it’s going to adversely affect their sex lives, but that’s rarely the case,” says Dr. Zaidan, who’s been performing LSH for three years and trains other surgeons in the procedure. “In most cases, people’s sex lives get better after hysterectomy because we only remove the part of the anatomy that is causing the bleeding or discomfort.”

Two for one
Another benefit, LSH can be done concurrently with minimally invasive procedures for correcting urinary incontinence. “It’s kind of a one-procedural, multi-organ functional fix,” says Dr. Zaidan. “While the patient is under anesthesia, bladder suspension and other laparoscopic urinary procedures can be performed at the same time.”

A nurse at POH for 21 years, Jan has seen it all. She has worked in the OR with Dr. Zaidan and observed him perform LSH many times. So when her gynecologist recommended that she have a hysterectomy, Jan had total confidence in Dr. Zaidan.

In April, Jan had an LSH with a bladder sling. According to Dr. Zaidan, combining laparoscopic urinary procedures with an LSH doesn’t increase the patient’s discomfort level or recovery time, but it does add temporary restrictions such as no heavy lifting or strenuous activity. For this reason, he advised Jan to take a break from her nursing duties for four to six weeks. Going stir crazy at home, Jan only needed four.

Since her surgery, Jan says she’s been asymptomatic and has even recommended LSH to several of her coworkers.

Dr. Zaidan also performs minimally invasive procedures to correct urinary incontinence without hysterectomy. And LSH can be performed with or without removing the ovaries.

For more information, call Women’s Healthcare Associates at 248-693-0543 or visit www.centerofobgyn.com. Dr. Zaidan has offices in Lake Orion, Sterling Heights and Clarkston.