Upcoming hysterectomy - vaginal or laparoscopic?

For: *Susan*,

With a LAVH...a Laparoscopic Assisted Vaginal Hysterectomy...the surgery is done using the vagina..and the cervix is removed with the uterus.

With a LSH...a Laparoscopic SupraCervical Hysterectomy...the uterus is removed and the cervix is retained. With my LSH...I had two small hip incisions and a belly button incision. My hyst was done through the incision sites.

With both surgery types...the ovaries can be removed or retained.

Hope that helps.

Historylady

I had a LAVH. Since the uterus is delivered through the vagina the cervix cannot be saved. Personally I don't miss mine and have great sex without it. I had a bellybutton incision and two incisions lower on the abdomen. They used the abdominal incisions for a camera and two instruments to help with the surgery. There are just a very few surgeons in the US who will make an extra incision in the vagina to leave behind the cervix. We don't know a whole lot about that procedure as so few of our members have had it. It usually turns out that when a member has had a vaginal hysterectomy and thinks she has kept her cervix, further meetings with her doctor have clarified that the cervix was removed along with the rest of the uterus.

Definitely talk to your doctor about what you want, and why.

Susan, if they do LAVH, since it is a vaginal hyst, they will remove the cervix as well as the uterus. Someone on this site mentioned that a supracervical vaginal hyst is available, but I think it's uncommon.

Let me just add that you already know this, since the previous posters gave more detailed info. I threw in my two cents because I didn't see they'd already written. Oops. ;P All the same ... hope it helps with any decision making.