The doctor can view the fibroids though the laparoscope camera as the instruments are guided to the site to remove the tumors. It is performed when the patient is under general anesthesia and not conscious. This is a surgical procedure, in which an incision is made in the abdomen to access the uterus, and another incision is made in the uterus to remove the tumor. Once the fibroids are removed, the uterus is stitched closed. The patient is given general anesthesia and is not conscious for this procedure, which requires a several-day hospital stay.
Typical recovery is four to six weeks.
In a hysterectomy, the uterus is removed either through the vagina, or in a laparoscopic surgery, or in an open surgical procedure. A procedure is selected based on the size of uterus, previous surgery, other problems the woman might be having at the same time, and the preference of the woman. In all cases, the operation is performed while the patient is under general anesthesia. Hysterectomy has a 2 percent risk of post-operative bleeding and a 15 percent to 38 percent risk of post operative fever. Hysterectomy is the most common current therapy for women who have fibroids and is effective in essentially all cases in which bleeding is a problem.