TVA vs. TAH

Hi ladies -

I am having a TVA Oct 21 - and I'm not sure why I'm even asking - but is there any difference between recovery for a vaginal and non-vaginal surgery? Just curious as if one might (hopefully) be a little easier than the other? Or is it really all just dependent on the individual and all the miscellaneous factors at play?

Thanks,

JH

Hi,
I'm no medical expert, but had a TAH, whereas a friend of mine had a TVA - totally different recoveries. The TVA is less invasive, therefore recovery is usually faster and easier...I say usually because each person has an individual story. TAH is a full abdominal incision, therefore much more invasive and speaking from experience, a fairly long and complicated recovery. Hope that clarifies a little . Good luck!

I've heard people say that supposedly, a vaginal hysterectomy is supposed to be easier to recover from than an abdominal hysterectomy. That said, judging from the stories I've heard on this list, the difference between the two gets swamped by the individual differences between women.

I had a TAH myself. The surgery went smoothly and I had an easy recovery, with minimal pain and no complications, infections, etc. I was cleared at four weeks to do everything except lift heavy boxes. The boxes had to wait until six weeks.

There were sisters in my recovery thread who'd had vaginal hysterectomies and were obviously having a much harder time than I was. In particular, I noticed that sisters who'd have vaginal hysterectomies often found it painful to sit for a quite a while after surgery.

That said, the sisters who posted the most were the ones who had complaints to post about. It's certainly possible to have a good recovery either from a TVH or a TAH, and I sure hope you do! :-)

My doctor told me that the recovery on a TVH is easier, then dashed my hopes the next week and told me I had to have a TAH. I think that they consider the TVH less invasive and whatnot, but everyones recovery is going to be different based on alot of personal factors.

Thanks Ladies -

It makes sense that a TVH would 'seem' like an easier recovery but with all the extenuating circumstances... it's no sure thing. Thanks for the 'sitting' info! And best wishes to everyone here - what a great place to find!