The short version
- A hysterectomy removes the uterus. For cancer, the cervix, tubes, and ovaries usually come out as well, and lymph nodes are checked.
- Most of these operations can be done with the robot, through several small incisions.
- Some cannot, and an open incision is the safer choice. That decision is made on your anatomy and your disease, not on preference.
- The recovery instructions are the same for both: no lifting over 15 to 20 pounds for 6 weeks, no core exercise for 6 weeks, pelvic rest for 12 weeks. [1]
- The final pathology, which usually takes about a week, is what decides whether anything else is needed.
Your own discharge papers come first
Everything on this page is taken from the standard printed instructions this office gives patients. If the papers you were handed at discharge say something different, follow those. They were written for your operation. When the two disagree, call the office at 817-759-7065 and let us settle it.
After laparotomy or laparoscopy
Everything on this page in printed form, including incision care and the call-the-office list.
What the operation removes
The names get confusing, so here they are in one place.
- Total hysterectomy. The uterus and the cervix.
- Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Both fallopian tubes and both ovaries. Often done at the same time.
- Radical hysterectomy. The uterus, the cervix, part of the vagina, and a wide area of the ligaments and tissue around them. [2] Used mainly for cervical cancer.
- Omentectomy. Removal of the omentum, the apron of fatty tissue in front of the bowel. Common in ovarian cancer surgery. [3]
- Lymph node dissection or sentinel node biopsy. Checking the lymph nodes the organ drains into.
Robotic or open
| Robotic | Open (laparotomy) | |
|---|---|---|
| The incisions | Several incisions under an inch, across the abdomen. | One larger incision, either up and down or along the bikini line. |
| How long in hospital | Often home the same day, sometimes one night. | Usually one to three nights. |
| Incision closure | Usually surgical glue. Keep the glue on until 2 weeks after surgery. [1] | A dressing, sometimes a negative pressure dressing. Most dressings come off on day 7. [1] |
| Driving | No driving for the first 1 to 2 weeks, and none while on prescription pain medicine. [1] | No driving for the first 1 to 2 weeks, and none while on prescription pain medicine. [1] |
| Lifting | Nothing over 15 to 20 pounds for 6 weeks. [1] | Nothing over 15 to 20 pounds for 6 weeks. [1] |
| Pelvic rest | 12 weeks. [1] | 12 weeks. [1] |
| When it is chosen | Most endometrial cancers and many early cervical cancers, when the anatomy allows. | Large tumors, widespread disease, scarring from previous surgery, or when the view is not safe. |
Read more on the robotic hysterectomy page or the open hysterectomy page.
A plan can change during the operation
Occasionally an operation that starts robotically has to be converted to an open incision. That is not a complication and it is not a failure. It means that once we could see, the safe way to finish the job was the other way. It is worth knowing this before the day, so it is not a surprise afterward.
Why the lymph nodes matter
Cancer spreads first to the lymph nodes that drain the organ it started in. Checking them is how we find out whether the disease is confined to the uterus, and that answer drives everything that comes next.
Sentinel node mapping uses a dye to find the first node or two the uterus drains into, and takes only those. It gives most of the information with much less disruption to the lymph system, which lowers the risk of long-term leg swelling.
If the ovaries come out
If you have not been through menopause and both ovaries are removed, menopause begins immediately. Not gradually. Hot flashes, sleep changes, and vaginal dryness can start within days.
This is worth a real conversation before surgery, not after. For some cancers the ovaries must come out. For others there is a choice. And there are ways to manage the symptoms, including in many cases hormone therapy, depending on the cancer. Ask.
Recovery
Pick your procedure to see the timeline. [1]
When to seek care right away
Call the office now, or go to the emergency department, if you have:
- A fever of 101 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
- Chest pain or shortness of breath
- Nausea and vomiting you cannot get on top of
- Increased pain, swelling, redness, or drainage from an incision
- Bleeding through more than one pad an hour
- Vaginal discharge with a foul odor
- Trouble emptying your bladder, or burning when you urinate
- Increasing swelling in one leg
After laparotomy or laparoscopy
The full printed instructions given after abdominal surgery.
Sources
- Vasques DR. Post Laparotomy or Laparoscopy Instructions. The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Fort Worth, TX. Patient handout supplied by the practice. pdfs/after-laparotomy-or-laparoscopy.pdf
- National Cancer Institute. Cervical Cancer Treatment (PDQ) Patient Version. Updated April 3, 2025. https://www.cancer.gov/types/cervical/patient/cervical-treatment-pdq
- National Cancer Institute. Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, and Primary Peritoneal Cancer Treatment (PDQ) Patient Version. Updated November 22, 2024. https://www.cancer.gov/types/ovarian/patient/ovarian-epithelial-treatment-pdq
- National Cancer Institute. Endometrial Cancer Treatment (PDQ) Patient Version. Updated November 13, 2020. https://www.cancer.gov/types/uterine/patient/endometrial-treatment-pdq
Reviewed by DeEtte R. Vasques, DO, MBA · September 2026