How to Heal Quickly After a Hysterectomy

Post-Surgery Precautions

Give yourself plenty of bedrest each day after the surgery. Listen to your body in the days and weeks following your surgery. While it’s good to stay active, remember that it’s equally important to give your body plenty of time to rest and recover. Lie down and take a nap whenever you feel tired, and don’t push yourself too hard. You’re probably going to feel a lot more tired than usual after your procedure, which is completely normal. If you don’t let yourself rest, your body may not be able to heal as quickly.

Wear loose, comfy clothing that doesn’t chafe your incision. Pick out shirts and pants that fit you comfortably without rubbing against the wound too much. As you walk around, check that your clothing isn’t rubbing against or irritating your wound, which may cause a lot of discomfort in the long run.

Take your prescribed pain medication regularly. Talk to your doctor or gynecologist about your dosage instructions for any prescribed painkillers. Try to take your medication before you feel severe pain, so you don’t have to deal with any extreme pain. Always follow the recommended dosing instructions so you don’t take too much at once. Talk to your doctor about any side effects you have, even if they don’t seem very significant. Don’t drive or use heavy machinery after taking painkillers, as this can lead to a pretty serious accident.

Request 2-6 weeks of work off after your surgery. Don’t try to push yourself after your surgery—instead, give yourself plenty of bedrest and time to move around slowly, at your own pace. Return to your job whenever you feel rested and ready, and when you’re no longer taking painkillers following the surgery. If you give yourself plenty of time to rest and recover, you may be able to return to work after a few weeks. Remember—everyone’s healing time is different. Don’t be upset or ashamed if your body is taking more time to heal than you originally expected. You’ll likely need to rest for at least 2-4 weeks before you can restart most of your ordinary day-to-day activities.

Don’t have sex or put anything in your vagina for 6-8 weeks. After a hysterectomy, it’s important to go on pelvic rest. Avoid sexual intercourse, and don’t insert anything into your vagina, such as tampons or douches, until your surgeon gives you the all-clear. This will help the area heal and reduce the risk of your incision reopening. If you’ve had a subtotal hysterectomy (in which only part of your uterus is removed), you might be able to go off pelvic rest after only 3-4 weeks.

Avoid lifting anything heavy for the first 6 weeks. Don’t lift anything that forces you to strain any of your muscles. It’s perfectly fine to lift up small, lightweight items, but don’t try lifting anything bulky. Don’t be afraid to ask friends and family members for help, if necessary!

Break your household chores into smaller chunks. Give yourself time to complete different tasks around your home. You likely won’t have a lot of energy after your procedure, so don’t be discouraged if you can only manage a few small tasks each day. Try making a schedule for yourself! You can do a few small tasks throughout the week, depending on your energy levels. If you don’t feel up to doing something, don’t be afraid to ask someone for help!

Call your gynecologist or doctor with any concerns. It’s perfectly normal to feel uncertain or uneasy after your procedure. If you have any worries or concerns, talk to your doctor and see what they have to say. For instance, if you suspect that your incision is infected, your doctor can take a look and possibly prescribe antibiotics.

Physical Activity

Walk around for several minutes each day to build your stamina. Rebuilding your strength and stamina helps you heal more quickly while helping your body slowly transition to your usual routine. In the days after your surgery, walk around slowly for 5 to 10 minutes, or however long you feel comfortable. With each passing day, increase your walking regimen very slowly. For instance, walk around for 5-10 minutes during the first 4 days of your recovery. During days 5 through 7, increase your walking time to 15 minutes. Continue raising your walking time until you can comfortably walk for 30 to 60 minutes. Don’t overexert yourself! While it’s important to get small amounts of exercise, walking too much could strain your body after the surgery, which may increase your healing time. Talk to your doctor or gynecologist and see if they have a recommended exercise schedule.

Move your feet and legs around for 30 seconds to prevent clots. Sit up and twist or pump your feet around. If you sit still for really long periods of time, you may get a clot, which can set back your recovery process. Move each foot around for 30 seconds to keep the blood pumping. You can also do some basic leg lifts. For instance, flex your foot so it’s completely straight, then bend it so it’s pointing upwards. Repeat this motion for 30 seconds to keep your foot moving. You can also swivel your ankle to spin your foot around.

Perform a few pelvic floor exercises a day or 2 after the surgery. Note that your pelvic floor muscles may not be up to full strength after the procedure. Squeeze your thigh, abdomen, and butt muscles together for about 1 second, then let yourself relax. Do a few short reps each day, then gradually work your way up to longer reps, where you clench your muscles for 3-5 seconds. To find your pelvic floor muscles, pretend that you’re trying to stop yourself from passing gas and urinating. The muscles that you tighten for this are your pelvic floor muscles. Talk to your doctor or gynecologist and see if there’s a training plan you can follow each day. They may recommend that your meet with a physiotherapist, who can help you recover as efficiently as possible.

Swim at your local pool after 2-3 weeks to build strength. Check on your incision and see how it’s healing. Once the wound is healed and no longer raw and bleeding, start visiting your local pool. Swim in small, 10-15 minute increments or longer, depending on what you feel comfortable with. Swimming is a great way to work multiple muscles, which can help you get back to full strength after the procedure.

Proper Hygiene

Clean your surgery incision with warm water and soap each day. Soak a soft cloth with warm water and a pea-sized amount of soap. Lightly rub the cloth over the incision to clean off the surface, then rinse away any suds with a clean, damp rag. Take another dry cloth and pat the incision so it’s no longer wet. Keeping your incision clean prevents infection, which can make your recovery time a lot longer. Despite popular belief, hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol won’t help speed up the healing process. Instead, they’ll just irritate the tissue and slow healing down.

Change your incision bandage each day. Toss out the old gauze or bandage, then place another large, gauze square over the wound. Hold it in place with strips of medical tape so the bandage won’t fall off during the day. You don’t have to use a bandage, but it can help prevent chafing. Keeping your incision clean helps prevent infection.

Opt for showers instead of baths during the first 2 recovery weeks. Don’t soak your wound dressings right after your surgery. While you want to keep your incision clean, you don’t want to overwhelm it with soap and warm water. Wait at least 1-2 days after your surgery before jumping into the shower, where you can clean yourself off without getting your wound too wet. Baths are fine once the incision begins to heal. If you get the incision wet before it heals, you may be setting yourself up for infection, which can increase your recovery time.

Dietary Changes

Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day. Hysterectomies reposition (and remove) some of your internal organs, which may cause your bowel movements to stop altogether after the surgery. Stay hydrated by drinking at least 8 glasses of water throughout the day, which can help encourage a bowel movement without straining. It may help if you fill up several large water bottles with 8 glasses’ worth of water. Do your best to drink from these water bottles throughout the day. The sooner you start having bowel movements, the sooner you can go back to your regular routine.

Nourish yourself with foods that have a lot of healthy fats. Snack on foods with a lot of healthy fats, like avocado, salmon, walnuts, mackerel, and sardines. These fats are very nourishing, and can help keep your body in top shape as you recover. For instance, you can enjoy chips and guacamole as a snack, then eat some mackerel for lunch.

Increase your protein intake as you recover. Keep your strength up by eating foods with a lot of protein in them, like lean meats, mixed nuts, yogurt, and eggs. Enjoy these foods in your meals and snacks, which will help you stay strong during your recovery. For instance, you can have a hard-boiled egg for breakfast, along with a turkey burger for lunch or dinner. You may need to eat 2.5 to 3 times as much protein as you normally would. Use an online calculator to figure out how much protein you need each day, then multiply that number by 2.5 or 3. Here’s a calculator you can use: https://www.calculator.net/protein-calculator.html.

Eat bland, healthy foods if your stomach is bothering you. It’s perfectly normal for your GI system to not feel its best after the surgery. Opt for simple foods that are easy to digest and don’t have a lot of flavor, like an unseasoned, boiled chicken breast, unseasoned white rice, or plain yogurt. Toast is another great food to consider if you’re hungry for richer, seasoned foods.

Opt for fiber-rich foods to regulate your bowels. Eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with other high-fiber foods like lentils, cooked quinoa, popcorn, and whole wheat bread. Enjoy these foods as a snack, or as a hearty part of your meal. Note that fruits and vegetables with skin, like raspberries, pears, and green peas, have a lot of fiber. Ideally, try to eat at least 21 to 25 grams of dietary fiber each day. For reference, you can get 8 grams of fiber from 1 cup (125 g) of raspberries. If you’re still having a difficult time having a bowel movement, your doctor might recommend a fiber supplement, such as Metamucil or Benefiber.