It is a surgical procedure that is used to treat various gynecological cancers, including cervical, uterine and ovarian cancer. In this, the womb and surrounding tissues are removed, including the fallopian tubes, part of the vagina, ovaries, lymph glands and fatty tissue. This surgery impacts the fertility of the woman.

A radical hysterectomy is the standard treatment for women with early-stage cervical cancer, which includes stage I cervical cancer, and more specifically, stage IA2 and IB1. Often these patients are younger, between ages 20 and 40. Surgery is not the standard of care for advanced-stage cervical cancer patients.

The patients opting for radical hysterectomy should choose a facility with an advanced surgical recovery program. Patient will be required to get her medical records, a list of any drugs or supplements that are ongoing, any imaging results, such as X-rays, and allergy information, stop smoking, eat a healthy diet, and exercise regularly. Patient will usually be asked to stop eating at least 6 hours before the procedure. She can drink water up to 2 hours beforehand. Dr. Naresh or nurse will give instructions about this beforehand. She will guide the patient regarding the surgery and address all the patient’s concerns regarding outcomes.

The surgery is performed under general anesthesia. During this operation, Dr. Naresh will remove the uterus, cervix and part of the vagina, along with the parametrium (the connective tissue that surrounds the cervix). If needed, the ovaries, fallopian tubes and nearby lymph nodes can also be removed. There are 3 ways a hysterectomy can be performed:

• Laparoscopic hysterectomy (womb, cervix and other parts are removed through a keyhole)
• Vaginal hysterectomy (the womb and cervix are removed through an incision that's made in the top of the vagina)
• Abdominal hysterectomy (incision is made in the abdomen and womb removed from there)
• Bathing and showering after surgery

The patient is likely to spend a week or two in the hospital after this surgery. Drains will be attached to the chest to drain fluids. Dr. Naresh will remove the drains when the amount of fluid decreases to an acceptable level, usually within a week or two. Chances are that the new breast won’t look exactly like the natural one did. However, the contour of the new breast can usually be restored so that patient’s silhouette looks similar to that of before surgery. Depending on the type of reconstructive surgery performed, the patient may be able to resume normal activities within few weeks to months. Dr. Naresh will give the patient medicines to help control pain and other discomfort.