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 (Honesdale, July 8, 2005)… “I’m going back to work less than three weeks later!” says 34-year-old Sharon F. about her laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (LSH), a minimally invasive procedure now being done at Wayne Memorial Hospital by Dr. Pedro Mencia of Women’s Health Care of NEPA. Dr. Mencia is the only obstetrician/gynecologist offering this procedure in Wayne and Pike Counties.

Sharon F. prefers not to have her last name published, but she doesn’t hesitate to speak out about her LSH surgery. “I went into the hospital on Monday and I was back home on Tuesday,” the Narrowsburg mother of two continues, “It was a piece of cake!”

“Women who require hysterectomies today have many more options,” says Dr. Mencia. “Historically, traditional abdominal hysterectomies called for four to six weeks of restricted activity after the surgery. Today, laparoscopic procedures can mean days instead of weeks to return to full activity.”

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 600,000 hysterectomies are performed annually in the United States.  It’s the second most common surgery for women. The procedure, which involves removing the uterus, can be a life-saving treatment for a woman who has uterine, endometrial or cervical cancer. For other women, it’s a treatment option that can help address symptoms affecting physical and emotional health.

Laparoscopic hysterectomies—LSH or Laparoscopically-assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH)—usually mean less pain, a faster recovery and far less scarring. In   LSVIn the  “traditional” Total Abdominal Hysterectomy (TAH) procedure, the surgeon removes the uterus, including the