Patient Information
General Surgery Information
Dr Lyn Kenneth performs hysterectomies (vaginal, laparascopic, abdominal), laparoscopies and other common surgical procedures.
If your treatment involves surgery, you will be given a date for procedure. We will do our best to accommodate you at a time that’s most convenient, depending on availability of theatre facilities and the surgical team (unless it is an emergency).
Dr Kenneth operates at Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital on Wednesday & Thursday afternoons. You are expected to obtain authorisation from your medical aid for the procedure and hospital admission. You will be given all necessary codes to facilitate the authorisation process. Depending on your medical aid plan, you may have a co-payment for the doctor’s fee (you may request a quote, prior to confirming your procedure).

Everything you need to know
Theatre procedures
A hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus and fallopian tubes) may be offered to treat some benign/non-cancerous gynaecological conditions especially after medical therapy fails and is often the first-line treatment for most gynaecological cancers. The ovaries will be conserved in the premenopausal period to maintain ovarian hormone production unless there is strong suspicion of cancer or unless it is surgically difficult to save them (decision may only be made intra-operatively).
There are various ways of performing a hysterectomy and this will be discussed with you once you have had a thorough examination and have made the decision to proceed with the operation – traditionally most uteri were removed via a large abdominal incision (laparotomy) however the tendency is towards either a vaginal hysterectomy (no abdominal wounds) or a laparascopic hysterectomy (5-10mm incisions). There are pros and cons of the different approaches to surgery which will be discussed with you by your gynaecologist.
A laparascopy/endoscopic procedure is what is now termed minimally invasive or “keyhole” surgery and has become the surgical route of choice for most gynaecological operations. It involves the surgeon placing a camera into your abdomen at the belly-button (usually 1cm incision) with 2-3 additional 5-10mm incisions for additional instruments (depending what surgery is planned). The advantages of laparascopic surgery is less intra-operative bleeding, less post-operative pain, early mobilisation out of bed and quicker return to usual activities/work. Not all patients may be suitable candidates for laparascopic surgery depending on your body habitus, previous abdominal surgical procedures, the actual pathology that your gynaecologist finds.
A laparoscopy may be considered a diagnostic procedure alone eg. to determine the cause of chronic pelvic pain (if other modalities are inconclusive) or it may in fact be therapeutic as well. The following procedures are currently offered laparascopically by this practice:
- Adhesiolysis (breakdown of any scar tissue that may be causing pelvic organs to “stick” to one another
- Endometriosis – draining of chocolate cysts/endometriomas, excision of endometriosis
- Removal of ovarian cysts/ovaries
- Hysterectomy (removal of the womb) – total laparascopic/laparascopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy
- Myomectomy (removal of fibroids depending on size, position etc)
- Treatment of ectopic/tubal pregnancy (salpingectomy/salpingostomy)
- Tubal ligation (sterilisation)
- Tests for fertility (laparascopy and chromopertubation)
With the assistance of a urogynaecologist or a gynaecological oncologist, we are also able to offer laparoscopic surgery for severe pelvic organ prolapse as well as certain gynaecological cancers respectively.
A female sterilisation also known as a tubal ligation is considered a permanent form of family planning so a patient must be reasonably certain that there is no future desire for fertility (even if life circumstances should unforeseeably change eg. new partner, loss of a child). If a lady is uncertain then she should rather consider a long acting reversible form of family planning (which your gynaecologist will discuss with you).
A tubal ligation can be done via a laparotomy (large abdominal incision), a mini-laparotomy (smaller approximately 5cm incision below the belly-button if you have just had a vaginal delivery) or most commonly via a laparoscopy (key-hole surgery where two 0.5-1cm incisions are used). The fallopian tubes are identified and then clamped, blocked or tied off so that the egg and sperm cannot meet.
Endometrial ablation is a procedure to surgically destroy the lining of the uterus (endometrium) in order to treat heavy menstrual bleeding or decrease the risk of polyp formation. It is done via the vagina, cervix and uterus and a patient usually doesn’t require overnight admission in hospital. There is a chance that the lining grows again and if heavy bleeding recurs, ablation may need to be repeated Your gynaecologist may advise against an ablation procedure, if you are still considering future pregnancies.
Hysteroscopy is a procedure that involves visualising the inside of your cervix and uterus using a thin lens (hysteroscope) in order to diagnose and treat certain causes of abnormal bleeding. Benign growths such as polyps arising from the lining of the cervix or uterus may be removed and biopsies may also be taken to exclude cancer of the lining. Small fibroids may also be resected via a hysteroscope. Your gynaecologist may recommend other procedures to manage the abnormal bleeding eg. endometrial ablation/destruction of the lining or the insertion of a hormonal intra-uterine system to reduce the risk of the abnormal bleeding recurring.
You are usually able to go home the same day of the procedure or at most stay overnight.
If your pap smear shows any abnormalities that may increase the risk of you developing cancer of the cervix (mouth of the womb) your gynaecologist after performing a colposcopy & biopsy, may recommend the complete excision of the abnormal cells. This can be done under local anaesthesia or conscious sedation (in the office) if the necessary equipment is available and you fulfil the criteria for a in-room procedure, however it is most commonly done in theatre under general anaesthetic. The procedure is termed a LLETZ (Large Loop Excision of the Transformation Zone) or LEEP (Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure).