An abdominal hysterectomy is a medical operation that removes the uterus from the lower abdomen through an incision. If you’re pregnant, the uterus (or womb) is where the baby develops. The uterus is removed only in a partial hysterectomy, leaving the cervix intact. The uterus and cervix are removed during a complete hysterectomy. 

The uterus is removed through the vaginal canal during a vaginal hysterectomy. The uterus is detached from the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and upper vagina, as well as the blood arteries and connective tissue that support it, before being removed during a vaginal hysterectomy. The recovery period for the open hysterectomy will be 6 – 8 weeks after having abdominal hysterectomy.