TV presenter Jenny Powell revealed she underwent a hysterectomy after years of suffering severe symptoms due to fibroids.
The 56-year-old, former DJ presenter on Top of The Pops and ITV’s Wheel of Fortune, shared an update from her hospital bed on Thursday following surgery performed by a robot.
She said: “I feel relieved that the symptoms I lived with for so long are now gone.”
A hysterectomy is a major operation that involves removing the entire uterus and may be performed to treat pelvic pain, fibroid cancer, or heavy periods.
Fibroids are noncancerous growths made up of muscle and fibrous tissue that develop around the uterus.
Jenny Powell revealed she underwent a robotic hysterectomy while sharing an update from her hospital bed on Thursday.
The condition, which will affect two-thirds of women at some point in their lives, can cause heavy periods, back and stomach pain, constipation and a frequent need to urinate – all symptoms Powell has struggled with for years.
In an Instagram video, which has racked up more than 2,900 likes, the presenter revealed that her uterus weighed 1kg (2.2lb) when it was removed.
‘My uterus weighed 1kg, so I have been carrying a heavy load. “I’m looking forward to recovery now and doing my best to eat properly,” he said.
In the video’s caption, she added: “An enlarged uterus, fibroids and adenomyosis is something I lived with.” I got used to bleeding heavily and painfully, constipated and urinating constantly.’
Adenomyosis is a gynecological condition that affects approximately one in 10 women.
It occurs when the lining of the uterus grows toward the uterine wall, causing the uterus to thicken.
Speaking ahead of her surgery in a clip on her Instagram Story, she explained: “I’ve suffered for a long time with all kinds of symptoms and I’ve tried all kinds, but yes, it’s time.”
Doctors don’t know exactly why it develops, but they suspect there may be a genetic link.
Like fibroids, adenomyosis can cause heavy menstrual bleeding, swelling, and an enlarged uterus.
Hysterectomy is a potential treatment for fibroids and adenomyosis, but is usually offered if other treatments, such as medications, have not worked and the woman does not want to have more children.
Around 55,000 hysterectomy operations are carried out in the UK each year. Most of them are performed on women between 40 and 50 years old.
Powell has also previously spoken about her struggle with menopause which makes her “tired and depressed.”
Menopause, which causes women’s periods to stop, is a normal part of aging and usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, when a woman’s levels of the sex hormone estrogen decrease.
Around eight in 10 women will experience menopause symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, difficulty sleeping, low mood or anxiety and memory problems, according to the NHS.
Treatments doctors can provide include hormone replacement therapy, such as estrogen-replacing tablets, skin patches, and gels.
In 2022, Powell was forced to go to hospital after severe menopause symptoms left her struggling to “get out of bed every day”.
She told Closer magazine: ‘The menopause affected me mentally and I didn’t feel like myself. My periods were horrible, I had to change about five times a day and I lost so much blood that I became anemic. I was really tired and depressed.
“I had a hard time getting out of bed and couldn’t wait to get back to bed at night.”
Powell also revealed on her Instagram before the surgery that the hysterectomy would be performed by a robot.
NHS Trusts have rolled out the high-tech remote-controlled machines to clear the backlog of women who have missed out on vital operations during the Covid pandemic.
While the devices cost just under £2 million each, they reduce the time it takes to perform the delicate surgery and, as they also work with millimeter precision, it also means patients recover faster.
Called Hominis, the surgical system is operated by a human controller who maneuvers the robotic arms while watching the procedure on a screen in real time.
The robot features shoulder, elbow and wrist joints to provide 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 surrounds the uterus with its arms to perform the operation.
