Vicki Says She Had Cancer & Hysterectomy
- Real Housewives of Orange County alum Vicki Gunvalson shared with listeners on Jeff Lewis Live last week that she was diagnosed with cancer and had a hysterectomy, presumably to treat her cancer.
- A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus and cervix; it’s used as a treatment for the following cancers: uterine (also called endometrial), cervical, and ovarian.
- Robotically-assisted surgeries are common when performing a hysterectomy; speak to your doctor about comparing the pros and cons of robotically assisted surgery versus open surgery.
Gunvalson did not share details of her cancer journey beyond the fact that she had a hysterectomy, the surgical removal of the uterus and cervix.
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Understanding Uterine Cancer
Uterine cancer is one of the possible cancers Gunvalson may have battled given the fact that she got a hysterectomy. Uterine cancer occurs when cancer cells develop in the lining of a person's uterus. This year, approximately 66,570 people will be diagnosed with this type of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
In an earlier interview, Stanford Gynecologic Oncologist Dr. Diana English explains there are several conditions that may predispose someone to getting uterine cancer. "These patients might not be thinking about this, their primary care providers may not be speaking to them about this," says Dr. English. Those conditions are:
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (which is marked by the absence of regular periods)
- Obesity
- Hyperandrogenism (elevated male sex hormones)
- Lynch Syndrome
Understanding the Risks and Symptoms of Uterine Cancer
Hysterectomy as a Cancer Treatment
A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus and cervix. Women diagnosed with uterine, ovarian, and cervical cancer may have their cancer treated with a hysterectomy, to remove the area of the body where the cancer exists and from which it may spread or metastasize to other parts of the body.
Thanks to modern medicine, some surgeries can be performed with robotic assistance, and a hysterectomy is one of them. In an earlier interview, Dr. Heidi Gray, a gynecologic oncologist at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, explains open surgery versus robotic surgery, and how both can be used to perform a hysterectomy. "The most common procedure that we do robotically would be a hysterectomy, removal of the tubes and ovaries, you can also do more complicated omentectomy… removing of the omentum [a fatty apron surrounding abdominal organs]," Dr. Gray says.
"The least expensive in terms of just hospital costs, things like that, is open surgery," Dr. Gray explains. "But that's because it's not using a lot of the equipment [that would be needed for robotic surgery]. But you have to factor in other things that cost the patient like recovery time, how much time you're in the hospital, risk of infection."
“Women who get open surgery tend to need more recovery time in the hospital, which costs money as well. The overall costs for both types of surgery end up being very similar,” she says.
How Do You Prepare for Robotic Surgery?
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