Camilla leaves hospital after hysterectomy

The Duchess of Cornwall is convalescing at home today following her hysterectomy.

Camilla left hospital last night, three days after undergoing the operation.

The Prince of Wales collected his wife from King Edward VII Hospital in central London and the couple returned to Clarence House.

A Clarence House spokeswoman said the Duchess was "recovering well".

Camilla, 59, will rest for a further six weeks, with planned engagements postponed.

Clarence House described the operation - the removal of the womb - as routine and said it was not cancer-related, but refused to discuss Camilla's condition further.

A hysterectomy can be performed for several medical conditions including fibroids ("lumps" in the uterus), cancer, and endometriosis, when small pieces of the womb lining stick to other parts of the body, such as the bladder.

Fibroids or irregular bleedings can occur in women taking hormone replacement therapy.

Other reasons can include painful pelvic inflammatory disease, caused by infection or prolapse where the uterus or part of the vaginal wall drops down as a result of weak tissues.

More than 40,000 hysterectomies are carried out in the UK each year and one in five British women will have one before the age of 60.

The operation may be relatively common, but it is still a major surgical procedure.

Following the operation, which is almost always performed under general anaesthetic, patients can feel very sore and uncomfortable.

Most women stay in hospital for about four days, during which time they are encouraged to move around to help prevent blood clots.

They then go home for further rest, and are told not to lift anything heavier than a full kettle for the first four to six weeks.

It is also advisable to avoid driving a car for up to six weeks and to abstain from sex for four to six weeks.