Laparoscopic Supracervical Hysterectomy

Laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (subtotal hysterectomy) is done for women who have not had abnormal pap smears or precancerous cells in the cervix. It is also done for women who want to keep the support of other pelvic organs intact. To remove the uterus without removing the cervix, an incision is made at the junction between the uterus and cervix. A vaginal incision is not necessary. The uterus is removed through one of the laparoscopic incisions by a tool called a morcelator. The morcelator is a ½ inch tube with a rotating blade at the end. The surgeon pulls pieces of the uterus through the tube out of the abdomen, until the entire uterus is removed. The morcelator allows a uterus that is as large as a basketball to be removed through a ½ inch incision.