When faced with the need for a hysterectomy, it is normal to have questions about your surgery.

• How long will I be in the hospital?
• How soon can I resume my life?
• After I’ve healed, will I have a scar?

Now, there’s a surgical option for hysterectomy that can help alleviate many of these concerns. With a single incision hidden in the belly button, the SILS™ hysterectomy means that women can breathe a sigh of relief as they will potentially have fewer incisions, less pain and no visible scarring.

Fewer/Smaller Incisions

For women who undergo the SILS™ hysterectomy, the single incision in the belly button avoids the large incision made in the lower abdomen involved in typical open hysterectomy and the multiple small incisions required for standard laparoscopic surgery.

Potential for No Visible Scar

The SILS™ procedure requires only a single incision that is slightly smaller than the diameter of a nickel. By hiding this small incision within the belly button, the SILS™ hysterectomy may eliminate the visible scars typically associated with surgery.

Possible Reduction in Pain and Recovery Time

The SILS™ hysterectomy may reduce the wound pain when compared to traditional abdominal and laparoscopic procedures. Because the SILS™ approach only requires a small incision in the belly button, women can avoid the trauma associated with additional cutting through multiple layers of skin, muscle and connective tissue required to access the uterus, an aspect of other surgical options that may require extra time to heal. The minimally invasive nature of this approach may also result in the potential for reduced recovery time.

How the SILS™ Hysterectomy Works

The latest advancement in laparoscopic surgery, a hysterectomy performed using the SILS™ Port allows for the removal of the uterus through a small incision made in the belly button which measures 20 mm, or slightly smaller than the diameter of a nickel. To perform this procedure, the surgeon will insert into the belly button a SILS™ Port, a soft and flexible instrument equipped with three distinct openings which allows for the use of three surgical devices at the same time. When the surgery is complete, the SILS™ Port is removed from the belly button, leaving one incision which may not be visible upon healing. Recovery from the SILS™ hysterectomy may be similar to the 2 week recovery time associated with laparoscopic hysterectomy; however, laparoscopic hysterectomies may require multiple incisions.

In addition to hysterectomy, the SILS™ procedure is being used for various other surgeries such as gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy), kidney removal (nephrectomy) and gastric banding.