1. Do bellies permanently pooch after a hysterectomy? 2. Is TT recovery harder or the same as a hysterectomy?

Thank you for sharing your question. Unfortunately without an in-person examination, or full series of photographs, it is difficult to comment what may be the source of your “pooch.”  Most often this is loose skin that was exacerbated after the hysterectomy and can be treated with a tummy tuck procedure.  Most patients feel their hysterectomy was more painful than a full tummy tuck.  Hope this helps.

You probably had some skin laxity which is typical after pregnancy especially and with the scar contraction which is typical as part of healing the skin above formed an over hang.  This is common after Caesarean sections as well.  Recovery after TT varies with surgeons but in my hands with attention to several factors most return to work in one week.  Because the dissection is superficial to the abdominal muscles and they are not cut in a TT the recovery is significantly faster than hysterectomy.