LSH: is lifting patients 2 wks post op possible?

I wasn't aware of internal stitches, every darn you tube video of the surgery made no mention nor showed that part. They ended with just cauterizing it so no stitches are needed hence it being a minimally invasive procedure with a shorter recovery time.

They do cauterize the cervix if you leave it, and they cauterize the tissue and arteries that they cut, but the ligaments have to be sewn to places to support remaining organs.


I had davinci robot, removed cervix and uterus.

Ok thanks! There must be different ways to do LSH because some of the girls on this site said they had absolutely no internal stitches of any kind. Hmm. Confusing. Lol. Guess I will have to clear that one up at my pre-op.

Oh no you are not supposed to lift anything at 2 weeks, I work in childcare and my doctor said even when I go back to work at 8 weeks no lifting children for me for quite a while after, I had a vaginal. You can do what you want and maybe if your doctor is nuts will tell you to do what you feel comfortable doing but my doctor said you have hundreds of stitches inside that need to heal and you risk having to go for another surgery. He told me lots of stories. I had my uterus and cervix removed. I have read on here some doctors are telling people at 4 weeks they can lift 10-15 pounds my doctor said NO to me. I had no complications with my surgery. Those people who have gone back to work after 2 weeks have office jobs where they sit all day and from what they have posted they are exhausted by the end of the day.

lisamarieann,

We must have watched the same videos! According to my LSH surgery report I only had five stitches that were used to close the incisions for the lap ports. Everything inside was cauterized. No internal stitches.

When we see a 'DvH' type surgery we can't tell if the cervix was left or not and that's a big factor in recovery time and lifting restrictions. A vaginal cuff is required when the cervix is removed. Vaginal hysters require lots of stitches, total hysters require lots of stitches--with longer recovery time and restrictions. A LSH can be done with a daVinci as can a TAH or a vaginal. It's easy to confuse the tools with the surgery type.

I was released for all activities at three weeks--playing golf the next day. I took it easy for a while but I played. No way would I try to lift anything very heavy for at least a couple months. I wasn't back to my normal gym routine for about two months. Things were tender and I didn't push it. You only have one chance to heal.

Talk to your doc about exactly what you expect to do and when. The two or three week mark is for initial recovery. Complete recovery takes months.

Thanks for the reply girls! I have a lot to chat with my doc next week.

I had a DVH and was told nothing more than 5-10 lbs for 6-8 weeks. Lifting patients after 2 seems like a really bad idea.

Thanks Dolly, I will be sure to talk with my doc. I know that different procedures have different recovery times with LSH being the shortest but I just have to find out how much shorter.

A DA Vinci hysterectomy and any kind of laproscopic hysterectomy fallow the same recovery rules... The differences are that one is robotic assisted and one is done by surgeon's hand.
But I see you said LSH, which means you're keeping your cervix, and that is where the shorter recovery time lies.

Yep Dolly, I assume because there is no internal stitching then you are able to do more sooner. Thank goodness.