Deciding to undergo a hysterectomy wasn’t a simple choice for Melody Brown. Before going under the knife, she first weighed many factors. Her uterine fibroids were making life difficult. She faced heavy periods and debilitating pain that impacted simple daily activities. Fatigue and low iron levels plagued the mom of one. After discussing all the options with her husband and doctor, Brown decided a hysterectomy to remove her uterus and fibroids was necessary.
Does The Stomach Look Different After A Hysterectomy?
For the first six weeks after a hysterectomy, it is normal to experience bloating. Bloating is a cause of the swelling, bowel adjustments or hormonal changes that occur with a hysterectomy. After a hysterectomy, some women also experience a change in weight distribution.
What Should My Incision Look Like After A Hysterectomy?
Abdominal hysterectomies usually leaves one large scar around the bikini line. The scar is about halfway between the belly button and the pubic bone. After the incision is fully healed, a visible crease is typically visible.
Pictures of a Stomach After a Hysterectomy
One week after surgery, Brown experienced post-operative swelling in her stomach. She was relieved that there was no awkward bulging, however. As the weeks passed post-surgery, her abdomen slowly flattened out.
Before her hysterectomy, Brown regularly dealt with stomach bloating. She battled symptoms for 15 years leading up to her surgery including nagging aches and heavy menstrual cycles.
Hysterectomy Surgery Pictures
Brown’s uterus was removed during the surgery. It was severely enlarged. Because of that, vaginal or laparoscopic hysterectomy methods were not an option. She had an abdominal hysterectomy. The normal size of a uterus is compared to the size of a small pear. Brown’s uterus had grown to the size of a cantaloupe.
Along with her uterus, Brown also had her fallopian tubes and cervix removed. However, here ovaries remained intact.
Brown’s surgery lasted 90-minutes. She says after it was over she had a sense of calm. The only pain she felt was numbing pain and stiffness in her abdomen.
Hysterectomy Scar Pictures
During surgery, doctors made a horizontal incision in Brown’s lower abdomen. It’s the same spot where she had her C-section. After surgery, simple actions, like laughing were difficult as Brown’s abdominal muscles strained against the fresh incision.