How long is the surgery for a hysterectomy?

It takes one to three hours for a surgeon to perform a hysterectomy, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The length of a woman's hospital stay after the surgery depends on the extent of the procedure.

Women take about six weeks to heal from a hysterectomy and usually have a light vaginal discharge during the time, reports WebMD. Some women experience complications such as pain, vaginal prolapse, urinary incontinence or hemorrhage.

Hysterectomies are used to treat heavy vaginal bleeding, uterine prolapse, uterine fibroids and cancer. However, for most conditions a hysterectomy is considered a procedure of last resort and should be discussed with a doctor, according to the Cleveland Clinic.