Return to Work after Laparoscopic Hysterectomy

In Australia, return to work and full activity after abdominal hysterectomy is routinely delayed until the seventh postoperative week. We conducted a telephone survey of 100 women who had undergone laparoscopic-assisted hysterectomy inquiring, among other questions, when they had returned to full duties as well as when they felt they could have returned, if these were different. The mean time to return to full activity was markedly less than the standard 6 weeks. By changing the public perception and expectations regarding recovery after laparoscopic hysterectomy, we believe the procedure can be explained better by practitioners and will appear even more attractive to patients.