Laparoscopic Supracervical Hysterectomy
Educational information only, not medical advice. Talk with a qualified clinician before making decisions about your care.
Hysterectomy is the second most common surgery performed in the United States. Laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy is a minimally invasive method of removing the uterus. This means that the surgeon makes only small cuts in the belly to “minimize” or lessen injury to the body. Your surgeon places a camera (laparoscope) through one small cut to see inside of your abdomen and uses little instruments through the other surgical cuts to do your surgery. The uterus then is removed through one of the small cuts in your belly. Women who have a laparoscopic (minimally invasive) hysterectomy recover more quickly, have less pain, and have fewer infections than women who have one large surgical cut in the abdomen called an abdominal hysterectomy.
In a laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy, a surgeon removes the top portion of your uterus (womb). Sometimes other reproductive organs are removed, including the fallopian tubes (tubes sending the eggs to the uterus), or ovaries (the egg producers). Your surgeon will decide which organs may need removal depending on your age, family history, and reason for surgery.
Why do surgeons perform this procedure?
This procedure may be useful for:
- Heavy bleeding
- Fibroids (non-cancerous muscular tumors)
- Prolapse (uterus dropping into the vagina)
- Patients whose surgery could not be completed due to a lot of scar tissue
This procedure is not good for patients with:
- Abnormal pap smears
- Cervical or uterine precancer or cancer
- Tissue from the uterus growing outside the organ (endometriosis)
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Patients at high risk for uterine cancer (family history, obesity)
Benefits of the surgery:
- Most women stop having periods (approximately 10% will still bleed monthly)
- No more pregnancies, so no need for birth control
- Improvement in symptoms related to periods
What are the risks of this procedure?
There is a small chance of having a complication or problem when you have surgery. Your risk could be higher if you have had surgery before or have other medical conditions. Some risks of laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy include:
- Bleeding during or after the surgery
- Infection
- Injury to your bladder, intestines, or other structures near your uterus
- Blood clots in your legs or lungs
- Hernia (tear or weakness in the wall of your abdomen)
- Need to switch to a laparotomy (surgery through one large incision)
- Accidental spill of undetected cancerous tissue from uterus into abdomen
- Later need to remove cervix (opening to the uterus) due to precancerous changes, benign growths, bleeding, or persistent pain (approximately 25% of women)
- Because the uterus is removed in pieces (morcellation), there is a small risk of spreading undetected cancerous tissue. The FDA has issued safety communications about power morcellation. Discuss this risk with your surgeon.
What should I expect after surgery?
Everyone recovers at a different pace after surgery. Many patients are able to get back to most of their usual activities by two weeks after surgery, but full recovery can take six-to-eight weeks. Common symptoms after laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy include:
- Light vaginal bleeding
- Fatigue or sleepiness from anesthesia
- Pain or cramping in your stomach and soreness from your surgical cuts
- Shoulder pain
- Constipation (difficulty emptying bowels)
Do not put anything in your vagina for at least six weeks (no tampons or sexual intercourse). You will no longer be able to become pregnant. Most women do not experience any change in sexual function after hysterectomy.
When should I call my doctor?
Serious problems after total laparoscopic hysterectomy are uncommon, but notify your surgeon if you develop:
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Heavy vaginal bleeding
- Pain not controlled by your pain medications
- Severe nausea and vomiting
- A fever of 100.4°F or higher
- Trouble urinating or having a bowel movement
Patient information sheet
Download the printable AAGL patient information sheet for this procedure.
Ready to talk to a specialist?
Every surgeon in our directory is an AAGL member trained in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery.
Learn more about
DISCLAIMER: This material is for informational purposes only. The information presented should not be relied on as a substitute for medical advice, independent judgment or proper assessment by a doctor, with consideration of the circumstances of each case and individual needs. The information presented here is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of professional medical care. This document reflects information available at the time of its preparation. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this website is for general information purposes only. All users agree to read and abide by the AAGL’s complete terms of use agreement found on its website. AAGL disclaims all liability to users of the information. © 2026 AAGL. All rights reserved.