ATLANTA -- More than 600,000 American women have hysterectomies every year with a recovery period that can take up to six weeks. But a new type of hysterectomy being performed leaves only a small scar and doesn't require an overnight hospital stay.

Most women who have the procedure are young with 75 percent of them age 49 or younger. Many of the women work and can't afford to take extended breaks from work.

But with the new procedure, known as LSH, or laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy, women to return to work within a couple of weeks, and in most cases only have a minor scar as evidence of the surgery.

Doctors say the LSH procedure is not an option for women with suspected uterine or ovarian cancer or for patients with severe pelvic inflammatory disease. It costs about $10,000, about the same cost as a traditional hysterectomy.

Janet Friberg is 46 years old. She thought she was too young for a hysterectomy but a severe case of endometriosis left her in constant pain.

And yet, the prospect of having a hysterectomy frightened her.

"Just horror stories I had heard from other people (about) how long they had been laid up and how big the incision was and how painful it was," Friberg said.

Her doctor told her about the new procedure, which doesn't require an extended hospital stay and leaves just three tiny scars. She opted to take it and has been pleased with the results.

"Within a week, I was doing really good and walking around (and) not feeling like an old woman," Friberg said. "The scar there is two little puncture wounds on either side of the belly button and a short little scar in the middle of the belly button."

Through two tiny incisions, the surgeon detaches the woman's uterus then removes it through a third half-inch incision in the belly button.

"We do it early in the morning (so the patient) can go home somewhere in the afternoon and they can go back to normal activity in just two weeks," said Dr. Nathan Mordel, who has performed the procedure. "In the old way, they had to stay in the hospital for two or three nights and recover up to six weeks."

Surgeons use tiny instruments that cut and seal blood vessels at the same time, making the procedure virtually bloodless. Guided by images on a monitor, the uterus is pulled through the belly button through a special cutting instrument called a morsellator.

Said Mordel: "That instrument is able to cut tissue in a way that will accommodate the narrow passage. We can safely remove the whole uterine body even (ones that weigh) up to two pounds through that small opening."

Friberg said she has no regrets.

"This is the way to go," she said. "It's very easy for major surgery."