Gynaecology – Abdominal and Vaginal Hysterectomy

Before Surgery

Before your surgery, you may be invited to a clinic appointment on a Tuesday morning, depending on the surgery you are having. Alternatively, you will be given an information pack to read at home. The information pack will provide you with:

A booklet explaining your impending surgery and what to expect
Information on the importance of playing an active role in your own recovery with the support of healthcare professionals
Information on fitness for your surgery including diet, smoking, cessation, alcohol reduction, infections, exercise and more
Practical information to help your recovery including planning for going home before you come in

Patient Information Leaflets:

Information videos

Enhanced Recovery is a modern, evidence based approach that can help people to recover more quickly after surgery
In the sections below, you will find a selection of videos which aim to ensure you know what to expect and are prepared for your surgery. This will help to enable you to make a speedy recovery and safely return to the activities you enjoy. It is essential that you play an active role in your care, to achieve the best possible outcome after your operation.
We strongly encourage you to view these videos in plenty of time before your surgery. You can view each video as many times as necessary and if you need clarification or have questions for which you are unable to find the answers, please do not hesitate to ask anybody in the ERAS team.

Introduction to the Enhanced Recovery programme – Irene Fitt, Clinical Lead

After surgery

“You are the most important person in your own recovery!”

Following your surgery please start working with your ERAS information pack. The Enhanced Recovery booklet, information sheet and goal chart are particularly useful to enable you to guide your own progress as well as to prompt you. Start working with your goal chart as soon as you return to the ward – please ask a member of staff to help get this our of your bag.

Now that the surgery is done, here are some key things to remember:

Walking is really important! Walking helps to reduce the risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), chest infections, helps your bowel to start working and generally makes you feel better and more like yourself. You should avoid laying in bed for extended periods of time.
Get dressed in your normal everyday clothing from the day after your surgery. This is shown to help motivate and improve overall wellbeing, and prevents PJ Paralysis. Remember to bring a set of clothes into hospital with you, we like to avoid hospital gowns where possible.
Eat well to aid your recovery. A well-balanced diet is very important to help your body to repair after surgery. Foods containing protein are particularly good in helping to heal wounds and repair the body.
Pain delays the healing process! We do what we can to ensure your pain is well-managed after your surgery. If you are unable to do things such as cough, inhale deeply and walk because of discomfort and pain, you will be at a higher risk of developing post-operative complications like DVT, chest infection and sluggish bowel, amongst other things. Please let somebody know if your pain is preventing you from doing any of the things mentioned previously, as your nurse may be able to provide you with additional pain relief.

Your discharge

When can you go home?

Once the following discharge criteria is achieved, you can be discharged home.
Medically fit i.e. your blood pressure, heart rate and temperature are within normal range for you and have passed urine.
Drinking around 1.5 litres over 24 hour period
Eating reasonable amounts.
Your pain is reasonably well controlled on the pain relieving medication you are on in hospital.
Mobilizing independently (with aids if permanently used)

The criteria is listed on the back of your ERAS goal chart. Please tick each item off of the list as you achieve the criteria, to allow you to monitor your progress.

You will be given medications to take home and a discharge letter. Please make sure you understand how and when to take the medications given to you and any follow up arrangements for wound-care and appointments you will need to attend.

You may be discharged on a course of blood thinning injections, this is to help prevent blood clots following your surgery and the surgeon will decide if you need these depending on your individual risk factors. A nurse will demonstrate to you how to self-administer these when you go home.

The ERAS team will call you at home usually around 48 hours after your discharge.

After discharge contact numbers

Direct Line: 01582 718169 (7am-4pm Mon – Sun)

You will be able to leave a message on our answer phone, this is for any general enquiries (non urgent) we aim to return your calls within 48hrs.

Times when you need advice on the day as you might be worried about a symptom you have ,please call the main hospital number 01582 491166 and ask for bleep 398.You may need to do this more than once as if we are with a patient may not be able to answer the bleep immediately.

For out of hours significant concerns that may have taken you to A&E, for example persistent vomiting, uncontrolled pain please contact our significant concern line 07974259352. If however you do not get a response within 10 mins please call your GP or attend ED.

You can also call Ward 34 main number 01582 497132.

It might be a good idea to put this on your fridge or numbers in your phone should you need them in a hurry.

Now you have these numbers hopefully you won’t need them and you have an uneventful recovery.