Returning to Work Following Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy

This commentary presents data collected from one patient population and reviews the literature on returning to work following minimally invasive hysterectomy (MIH). Although MIH can reduce postoperative pain, decrease hospital stays, and accelerate return to activities of daily living, it has not consistently translated into a quicker return to work (RTW) for patients. A retrospective case series was performed assessing RTW times of 31 patients following elective MIH at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto in 2018. The median RTW time was 21 days. Patients returned to work significantly faster when they were counselled about an expected convalescence of 2 to 4 weeks (median 16 days) compared with a more traditional 4- to 8-week recovery (median 56 days). Surgeon recommendation can strongly affect when a patient returns to work following MIH. Most patients can RTW within 2 to 3 weeks. However, recommendations should be patient-centred and consider job description.