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Jenny Powell, 56, gives health update two weeks on from her robotic hysterectomy and issues one key warning to others having the surgery


Jenny Powell gave a health update two weeks on from her robotic hysterectomy on Thursday – and issued one key warning to others having the surgery.

The TV presenter, 56, underwent the procedure to subside her severe menopause symptoms, which she has been incredibly open about.

And this week she used the two week milestone after her procedure to give an update, telling her followers: ‘It is two weeks to the day that I had my hysterectomy.

‘I’ve had thousands of people messaging and I just want to clear one thing up – I had a robotic hysterectomy so I had a surgeon who was controlling a robot’s arms to do the whole operation.

‘So it was less invasive but also the recovery time is a bit quicker.’

Jenny Powell, 56, gives health update two weeks on from her robotic hysterectomy and issues one key warning to others having the surgery

Jenny Powell gave a health update two weeks on from her robotic hysterectomy on Thursday – and issued one key warning to others having the surgery

The TV presenter, 56, underwent the procedure to subside her severe menopause symptoms, which she has been incredibly open about

The TV presenter, 56, underwent the procedure to subside her severe menopause symptoms, which she has been incredibly open about

Issuing a warning to others in recovery she then added: ‘Recovery wise I have been doing a few things here and there and I was absolutely floored yesterday because I did too much – so don’t over do it – it’s not worth it.’

Continuing her video as she displayed her scars: ‘The scars are looking good but there’s a lot of healing going on on the inside and that’s the thing so small steps.’

She also shared an image of her stomach and penned in the caption: ‘2 weeks post op: No need for painkillers (just itchy from healing). Can lie on my side to sleep at last.

‘Sticking to a high fibre diet. Readjusting my HRT with my consultant. Going outdoors/ walking/ rehab. Playing the healing frequency 285 on Spotify AND REST.’ 

It comes after last week documenting her healing progress in a video, Jenny gave fans a run down of the previous few days.

Jenny said: ‘This is literally 36 hours after my robotic hysterectomy. I haven’t had any pain killers yet and my itchiness of healing, that’s coming on now across my tummy.’

Fast-forwarding to a couple of days later, Jenny added: ‘So, it’s been five days since my hysterectomy with the robot and things are coming along nicely with my scaring.

‘I’ve had a few showers and I’m still a bit swollen but that will soon die down, it’s not too bad.

It comes after last week d ocumenting her healing progress in a video, Jenny gave fans a run down of the previous few days

It comes after last week d ocumenting her healing progress in a video, Jenny gave fans a run down of the previous few days 

Soon after undergoing the operation last week, Jenny explained: 'I've suffered for so long with all sorts of symptoms and tried all sorts, but yeah it's time, so hence the hysterectomy'

Soon after undergoing the operation last week, Jenny explained: ‘I’ve suffered for so long with all sorts of symptoms and tried all sorts, but yeah it’s time, so hence the hysterectomy’ 

‘Now for aftercare, it’s about not doing too much but also keeping moving and not doing anything too little so I’m going to start to do a few little exercises, I had a good walk yesterday.’

The high-tech remote-controlled machines were deployed by NHS Trusts to clear the backlog of women who missed out on vital operations during the Covid pandemic.

While the devices cost just under £2 million each, they slash the time it takes to perform the delicate surgery, and as they also work with pinpoint accuracy it means patients recover faster.

Called Hominis, this surgical system is operated by a human controller who maneuvers the robotic arms while watching the procedure happening on a screen in real time.

The robot features shoulder, elbow and wrist joints to provide human human level dexterity and 360-degree articulation.

An additional arm guides a laparoscopic video camera through a small, separate incision, to help visualize the internal procedure.

Hominis enters through the vagina to perform the hysterectomy and then wraps its arms around the uterus to perform the operation.

Alongside the clip, Jenny wrote: ‘5 days in from my robotic hysterectomy and a personal update on the journey so far.

‘The response to my previous post was overwhelming, 1000s of you sharing with me your own experiences, fears and hopes for a better quality of life post op. 

‘The key is getting the right advice and support, knowing when your quality of life is truly being affected and seeking help to improve it. 

‘If you are booked in for the op, work on your mindset, eat well, be as fit and healthy as you can and share your concerns and apprehensions with others. You are not alone.’

Soon after undergoing the operation last week, Jenny explained: ‘I’ve suffered for so long with all sorts of symptoms and tried all sorts, but yeah it’s time, so hence the hysterectomy.

‘Because I’m menopausal of course things are different it’s not like this is been brought on early.

‘But I’m just wondering if they’ll be any connection between it and my emotions. So it will be interesting. I’m just about to put my fancy gown on so come back later.’

Jenny previously revealed she was forced into hospital after severe menopause symptoms left her struggling to ‘get out of bed every day.’

The presenter said she was forced to undergo an iron infusion after suffering from anaemia due to severe blood loss.

The high-tech remote-controlled machines were deployed by NHS Trusts to clear the backlog of women who missed out on vital operations during the Covid pandemic

The high-tech remote-controlled machines were deployed by NHS Trusts to clear the backlog of women who missed out on vital operations during the Covid pandemic 

She told Closer magazine: ‘The menopause affected me mentally and I didn’t feel like me. My periods were awful, I’d have to change about five times a day and I lost that much blood that I became anaemic. I was really tired and depressed.

‘I’d struggle to get out of bed and I couldn’t wait to go back to bed at night.’

Jenny spoke candidly about her experience with perimenopause – the time before a woman’s periods stop – and said she didn’t address her symptoms straight away and her condition became worse because she’d left it so long.

It meant she ended up needing treatment in hospital, adding: ‘I left it too long to get it sorted, so in the end I had to have iron infusions in hospital.’

What is a hysterectomy? 

A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure to remove a woman’s uterus.

There are three kinds:

  • PARTIAL HYSTERECTOMY: Removes two-thirds of the uterus. 
  • TOTAL HYSTERECTOMY: Removes uterus and cervix.
  • RADICAL HYSTERECTOMY: Removes uterus, cervix and ovaries.

The operation is most commonly performed on women between the ages of 40 and 49.

More than 20 million American women have had a hysterectomy, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As women approach menopause, the odds that they will develop one of several serious uterine health conditions increases. Doctors may recommend a hysterectomy as a treatment for:

  • fibroids 
  • endometriosis 
  • uterine (endometrial) cancer 
  • chronic uterine pain or bleeding 
  • collapsed uterus

In some cases, doctors may suggest a hysterectomy as a preventative measure if a woman has significant warning or early signs of developing one or more of these conditions.

When necessary, surgeons may also remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes, if these have also been damaged or are at serious risk of damage.

The removal of reproductive organs sends a woman’s body into menopause, no matter how old she is.

This comes with unpleasant side effects like hot flashes, and many women have to start hormone therapy, taking oestrogen to balance out their own hormones.  


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