Da Vinci Robot radical hysterectomy

Hello!

I had my hysterectomy 1 1/2 weeks ago. This is my only surgery and I'm not sure what to expect so I thought I'd ask some questions!

For anyone who has had the Da Vinci surgery, 1) how long before you could return to work? 2) anyone break open one of the belly incisions? 3) anyone have insomnia problems? 4) how long before you can have a bowel movement without sharp pain? 5) will bladder control be a problem?

Thanks for any insight!!!!!

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Originally Posted by legalmtion Hello! I had my hysterectomy 1 1/2 weeks ago. This is my only surgery and I'm not sure what to expect so I thought I'd ask some questions! For anyone who has had the Da Vinci surgery, 1) how long before you could return to work? 2) anyone break open one of the belly incisions? 3) anyone have insomnia problems? 4) how long before you can have a bowel movement without sharp pain? 5) will bladder control be a problem? Thanks for any insight!!!!!

Well, I can answer some of your questions by the way my recovery was but I am still fairly new out of my surgery mysef. My dr said I could go back to work on the 7th of this month which will be 4 weeks.

I hven't had any problems at all with my incision. They all healed nicely and are barely visible. I had my first bm the second day out of surgery but I had taken stool softeners regulary before surgery and that helped ot. I don't have any problems with insomnia other than the problems I already had and some nights I sleep wnderfully. Took me afew weeks b4 I could sleep without all the pillows though. Last night I woke up on my stomach and it didn't hurt at all (cat jumpin on my head is what woke me up) and I am 24 days out fo surgery. So far so good on the bladder control issue as well.

I had a radical hyst. 20 days ago. I had my post op yesterday and doc said all was going well, however I have been experiencing a LOT of pain around the incision area and abdomen. The incision looks good, almost can't see it, but it hurts like crazy. Stings as tho it is the first week after surgery. Doc says this is all OK and everything is fine. He said no problem to continue the pain med and even up the dosage a little if needed.
I had a malignant tumor the size of a tennis ball, so I am facing radiation and chemo, stage one, so not too bad, but my surgeon is fab and wants to do whatever will make me comfortable.
I do not feel as if I am doing too much, but I find I am really only comfortable when I am lying on my back. I still cannot lay on my side or sit at all and be comfortable.
Ice helps. My husband and caretaker went back to work and I am quite capable of being by myself, and I plan to just rest, rest, rest. books on audio are great, and TV and TIVo and movies. I wish I would have started a crochet project, I think I'll get one going for the future treatments.
I feel good otherwise, and sleep fairly well.
Also, I had a hard time with gas and bloating for the first week, and I was recommended to take plain, natural yogurt to get the bacteria re-established in the colon. It has helped although I still have mild symptoms.

I had the davinci, it has been 6 weeks for me now, though I am NOT the norm. I am finally able to have a bm without alot of pain, but remember, I had major complications and was just taken back to surgery. One of my incisions did start to come open *the highest one. The doctor said they usually put extra stitches inside for added protection from it opening up, and the highest one he put even more to try to prevent a hernia. I still have stitches poking out. I can't answer the work, as I am back to day 1 again. Insomia, well, for me, pain medis make me very hyper, so I have to take 1/2 phenergan and a benadryl with my 8pm antibiotic so I can sleep, I slept almost 10 hours last night, told my husband not to wake me for pain meds.
As for the bladder control, when I was at the new doctor monday, he said the muscles down there are weak, they could tell on ultrasound I am having a problem emptying my bladder completely, he assured me it will improve, usually around week 10, though for me it may be closer to week 20, due to the latest surgery.
Wishing you a speedy recovery!
Dorothy

sorry, I do not understand what you mean by "the highest one" or what happened to you that you had to have a second surgery? I notice my pain is very intense on one side now, whenever I move. Like I said, I am only comfortable when laying flat on my back! I am going to try just staying down totally for a couple of days and see if I can get some relief, otherwise, I will have to call the doc again ... sigh. it's exhausting to be in pain, and it seems like this is a different kind of pain than I had in the beginning. Thanks!!

You should have a incision in the belly button, one on the left and right below the belly button (about where the ovaries would be) and one above the belly button, possibly two above the belly button one on left and/or right. I had a blood vessel severed in the abdomen that caused me alot of pain, bleeding and my belly swelled, this went on for a month before seeing another doctor who had to take me back to surgery because I was hemorraging.

I had surgery about 3 months ago, I went back to work at 6 weeks (dr told me if I had a desk job I could have gone back at 4 weeks). I didn't have any problems with the belly incisions coming open, I did have trouble with insomina I usually took 1/2 a phenegran before bed and that helped. I had tons of adhesions on my bowel so it was about 2 1/2 weeks after surgery that all of that felt better. Happy healing!

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Originally Posted by jace77 You should have a incision in the belly button, one on the left and right below the belly button (about where the ovaries would be) and one above the belly button, possibly two above the belly button one on left and/or right. I had a blood vessel severed in the abdomen that caused me alot of pain, bleeding and my belly swelled, this went on for a month before seeing another doctor who had to take me back to surgery because I was hemorraging.

I called my doc and saw they wanted me to come in. They did anexam and couldn't find anything, but said sometimes pockets of fluid can form inside, most of the time they go away on their own.
The pain I am having is not the normal pain, it is sharp, stabbing burning sensation. Feels like the incision is ripping open when I sit up or move around the middle.
they gave me a stronger pain med and told me to go to emergency if it gets worse this weekend. They tried to get me an ultrasound to see if there were any pockets, but no one available on short notice, with the holiday weekend.
I am back in bed, looks like a very low key weekend for me!!
Take care all, and rest, rest, rest. !!

I had my DaVinci on June 2 and 4 weeks out I feel really good. This was my first every surgery too. No problems with my incisions at all, they look really good. My bladder drove me nuts for the first 3 weeks, it hurt, I couldn't empty it, and I leaked like mad. But that stopped a week ago and I just came home from the beach and now I'm drinking a latte and enjoying it immensely. I have not been back to work yet, but that's because I'm a yoga teacher and my surgeon said NO yoga for 6 weeks. He said I could go back to work at 2 weeks if I just sat there and taught, but at that point my bladder was driving me nuts so I wasn't comfortable with that. I might teach this Saturday, that'll be 2 days shy of 5 weeks post-op. My left side hurt for about 2 weeks, more than the right side. I don't know what that was about, but now I feel good. After the first week I was good to sleep on my side, and now I can sleep on my belly too. Little bit of insomnia, but I'm sure that's a combo of hormonal issues, being sort of lazy, little worries about recovery, etc. I feel good, all in all. Still take 3 dulcolax before bedtime to make the morning poop go easy. All my doctors have been great, calling me and checking on me. I'm also doing weekly acupuncture, it seems to have helped the bladder issues subside and we're working on some numbness, right over my tailbone and the left thigh where the doc moved my femoral nerve to get out some lymph nodes from there. The DaVinci business is really brilliant, I feel so lucky to have had my surgery this way. Stay calm, stay attentive to your body, call your doctor or the nurse, and most of all, stay healthy!

I am 3 weeks post op and having horrible pain right now on my right side.
There is no way I can sleep on my side or belly! I do not have sleep issues tho. I am still taking pain meds because I need them, therefore I take laxatives as well.
My tumor was the size of a tennis ball, and determined to be in the cervix rather than the uterus where most of the tumor resided. My docs NOW are great, I had 3 who told me it was a "fibroid" The 4th one I went to finally did a biopsy. It is a stage I, B II. I am very fortunate one of those other gynos who wanted to cut me open to remove the "fibroid" did not get ahold of me.
Nothing in the lymph nodes, I will begin a 10 week treatment of radiation and chemo in about 3 weeks.
I do not know how I ended up posting under the Davinci robotic, but that is not the surgery I had (my fault, I searched for post op pain and ended up here and did a post before figuring it out)