Da Vinci Hysterectomy

wolfera
wolfera Member Posts: 48 Member
in Uterine/Endometrial Cancer #1

Hi Ladies,

 

I am having a Da Vinci hysterectomy in about a week and a half. I thought I took good notes at my appointment, but I can’t remember how long my oncologist said the surgery would take. For some reason I remember 4 hours. Based on experience is this about right? Also, does the 4 hours include time in recovery (Assuming there are no complications)?

 

thanks!

Comments

  • LisaPizza
    LisaPizza Member Posts: 358 Member
    #2
    Mine was 3 1/2 hours, and

    Mine was 3 1/2 hours, and that included a cholecystectomy by a different surgeon. However, I did not have Da Vinci, although I did have laparoscopic for both surgeons. I'm not sure how Da Vinci affects how long it takes. 3 1/2 hours was the time from start of anesthesia to extubation and didn't include recovery room. I spent about 2 hours 45 minutes in the recovery room. I did stay overnight (I got to my room about 3). I had a lot of nausea, and very painful urination, for the first day. I was ready to go early the next afternoon. The doc came and pulled a drain and let me go. Unfortunately I was back at the family doc the next day with a throat infection. Still, all in all, no major problems.

  • MAbound
    MAbound Member Posts: 1,168 Member
    #3
    Estimate

    Whatever time estimate your doctor gives is an average and things can go quicker or longer. Mine (open abdomen) took 2 hours longer because my uterus just didn't want to come out. That was one unexpected thing that can crop up during surgery, so if you need to know how long of a surgery you're going to have for a particular reason, keep that in mind.

  • Armywife
    Armywife Member Posts: 451 Member
    #4
    DaVinci

    I believe mine was 5 hours.

  • wolfera
    wolfera Member Posts: 48 Member
    #5
    Thank you all for your

    Thank you all for your responses. I’m not very good at being patient and not being in control, but I’m striving to improve!!

  • derMaus
    derMaus Member Posts: 558 Member
    #6
    wolfera said:

    Thank you all for your

    Thank you all for your responses. I’m not very good at being patient and not being in control, but I’m striving to improve!!

    I spent two hours in recovery

    I spent two hours in recovery, don't remember how long the surgery itself was -- I think around 4-5 hours since I had a TAH and extensive disease. But I do recall laying there with a nurse at my side for two hours afterwards; I wanted to get to my room and get settled but they said 2 hours direct monitoring post surgery was a hospital requirement.

  • CheeseQueen57
    CheeseQueen57 Member Posts: 933 Member
    #7
    I got the bonus prize

    Woke up with an open surgery and a catheter. 

  • Donna Faye
    Donna Faye Member Posts: 427 Member
    #8
    Mine took 4

    I was in surgery about 4 hours but I could not wake up enough to be sent home - surgery was at 2pm. By 8 they sent family home and took me to room. Good thing too as I slept until 11 the next day. Finally they got me sober enough to go home. I did great and was so pleased with my surgeon. Listen to No Time for Cancer!

  • hopeful56
    hopeful56 Member Posts: 73
    #9
    My surgery was about 3-4

    My surgery was about 3-4 hours.  woke up in recovery was there for an extended time due to getting a room for me. I was already up on my feet that night and walking around the next morning on my own. 

    Discharged  in the afternoon.

    Hope everything goes well for you.

     

  • NoTimeForCancer
    NoTimeForCancer Member Posts: 3,486 Member
    #10
    Donna Faye said:

    Mine took 4

    I was in surgery about 4 hours but I could not wake up enough to be sent home - surgery was at 2pm. By 8 they sent family home and took me to room. Good thing too as I slept until 11 the next day. Finally they got me sober enough to go home. I did great and was so pleased with my surgeon. Listen to No Time for Cancer!

    "Sober enough to go home" -

    "Sober enough to go home" - Faye, you had me laugh out loud on that!

  • NoTimeForCancer
    NoTimeForCancer Member Posts: 3,486 Member
    #11
    I think the best answer is,

    I think the best answer is, "It depends".  Ask your family or friends at the hospital to take notes.  I know my hospital posted "where" I was, ie, 'in surgery', 'moved to recovery'.  I had no idea where I was, obviously.  I suspect all of us who had the Da Vinci were told that they would hope to have the surgery this way, but if they got in there and it was worse than what they expected, they would change for an open surgery.  My BFF knew I really wanted the Da Vinci, and I told her I wanted to know immediately.  When I finally got to my room around 2 pm (surgery prep started at 7 am) that is the first I remember of anything and the first thing heard was, "You had the Da Vinci" from my BFF.   

  • wolfera
    wolfera Member Posts: 48 Member
    #12
    Thanks for all of the

    Thanks for all of the responses! I’m having my surgery at Hopkins. My GYN onc said that 1 night is standard (assuming all goes as planned). I’m actually pretty grateful for the overnight with nurses/docs nearby.

  • cmb
    cmb Member Posts: 1,001 Member
    #13
    Lost Posts Recap

    This recap includes posts that were lost during CSN's data outage from 10/29/18 to 1/30/19.

     MugsBugs

    Oct 29, 2018 - 3:56 pm

    4 hours for me

    I had my surgery at Holy Cross in Silver Spring.  Surgery was at 1 and I was in recovery around 5.  I was in recovery for another 5 because they didn't have a bed.  I have Kaiser Permenante and the KP staff and doctors were remarkable.  However, Holy Cross hospital left me unimpressed.  Even though I am closer to John Hopkins the KP Gyn/Onc worked out of Holy Cross.

    You should do well at John Hopkins.  Both my parents have had several visits to John Hopkins in Glen Burnie recently and that hospital has been exceptional - which I believe all John Hopkin hospitals live up to this standard of care.

    My doctor also told me that the surgery would be laproscopy but once he went in if it was warranted they would switch to open hysterectomy.  He said he would make an initial incision and put a scope in to take a look/see.  If everything looked good he would proceed.  I think this is just precaution in case the cancer spread outside the uterus they would want to remove the cancer to keep from spreading.

    The surgery was easier than I thought but make sure you

    (1) buy a belly belt (makes walking easier

    (2) buy gasX and take it with you to the hospital.  Gas is probably the hardest part and GasX really helped.  I had to take it for at least a month.

    (3) take a pillow with you to the hospital for the ride home.

    (4) take the pain meds.  I didn't want to take the Percocet so just tried going with Tylonel.  After 12 hours I caved and too the Percocet and slept like a baby and the pain was really managable and not that bad.  After a few days I didn't need it any more.

    (5) listen to your Doctor and do no heavy lifting for 6 weeks. 

    (6) if you have an exuberate Golden Retriever - make sure he is contained before you get home.  Once he understood that I was hurt he was sleeping partner but initially in the door he knew I had been gone.  The pillow also helped in this situation.

    Also, don't be worried when you get home and weigh.  I gained 14 pounds from the fluids that they pushed into me.  I remember I felt demoralized by the weight gain but I think this normal.  I lost the weight plus 13 more by my 6 week checkup.

    Good luck - you will do great!  I am 8 months out and feel great!

     

    wolfera

    Oct 29, 2018 - 7:36 pm

    MugsBugs -

    MugsBugs -

    thanks for sharing your experience and for the tips! I feel very fortunate to have access to a world class hospital. And I do not have a golden retriever, but I do have 2 lab/beagle mixes. They’re brothers and they are a little nutty, but fortunately they are senior dogs now so they stay pretty calm most of the time. They will not be allowed upstairs during the first few days or so of recovery. After that, we’ll see!

     thanks again!

     

    janaes

    Oct 29, 2018 - 11:02 pm

    I often wondered how so many

    I often wondered how so many recovered so quixkly. I know some of it was the type of surgery. Mine all worked out in the end. I dont remember how long surgery took. I had open surgery. That was the plan all along. I did not get out of the hospital until the third day. Thats what my doctor said from the begining too. I needed every day too.  I think part of mine was that the surgery agervated my back problems.  Other than my back pain and sleeping was hard, i really enjoyed the the good care by the nurses. I had alot of support from family too and that was great.

    Wolfera, i wish you well as you prepare for you surgery and will be thinking of you.

    Janae

     

    wolfera

    Oct 30, 2018 - 5:57 am

    three days seems long, but it

    three days seems long, but it sounds like it was good for you. Hopefully you were able to sleep once you got home! I‘m Grateful that Hopkins requires at least 1 night in the hospital. The first Gynecologic oncologist I went to said it would be outpatient and I would go home the same day. That made me nervous. I actually got a call yesterday afternoon and they have to move my surgery day to two days later. I’m fine with it. Someone else has a more urgent situation, plus it’s only 2 days.

     

    LadyMox

    Oct 30, 2018 - 7:07 am

    May your surgery go smoothly.

    May your surgery go smoothly. I have no tips to offer since I'm still waiting on mine :)

     

    wolfera

    Oct 30, 2018 - 10:56 am

    Thank you - the well wishes

    Thank you - the well wishes are appreciated. I often feel like I don’t have many tips to offer since I’m early on in this journey.

     

    Red Corvette

    Oct 30, 2018 - 8:27 am

    DaVinci Robotic Surgery

    Mrs. Red had the DaVinci robotic surgery which took about 4.5 hours plus recovery in the recovery unit because of the number of lymph nodes removed to check for any cancer spread. They took about 20 nodes to double check there was nothing that had got out of the uterus plus a pelvic wash to check for cancer cells which all takes time. Ask your gyne/onc surgeon about node checking and pelvic wash info. Good luck with your surgery! Sending you positive vibes.

    Red

     

    wolfera

    Oct 30, 2018 - 10:56 am

    Will do - and thank you!

    Will do - and thank you!

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