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If you have been diagnosed with fibroids, are experiencing chronic pelvic pain, heavy or painful periods, or have a prolapsed uterus, your doctor may recommend a hysterectomy, a surgery to remove the uterus. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 600,000 hysterectomies are performed each year. One in three American women has a hysterectomy by age 60.
To find a Community physician with whom you can discuss your options, please call 800-777-7775 or try our online Find a Doctor.
Learn more about types of hysterectomies and alternatives to hysterectomy below.
*In hysterectomy, the ovaries and fallopian tube may or may not be removed. When one or both ovaries and fallopian tube are removed, the procedure is referred to as a hysterectomy with a salpingo-oophorectomy.
Women who have had a hysterectomy no longer experience monthly bleeding. If the ovaries are removed, the patient will enter menopause, and hormone replacement therapy may be necessary. Patients should talk to their doctor about which type of hysterectomy is best for their individual needs.
Hysterectomies can be performed using a variety of techniques. Not all patients are candidates for all types of surgery. Your doctor can recommend the procedure that best fits your health situation.
All of these procedures are performed under general anesthesia and require a hospital stay. Recovery time for vaginal and da Vinci® hysterectomies is typically shorter than with an abdominal procedure.
Though hysterectomy is a common procedure, it is an inpatient surgery, which means it requires a hospital stay. In many cases, a minimally-invasive alternative may address symptoms without removing the uterus. These procedures can typically be done on an outpatient basis.
Talk to your doctor to learn more about the benefits and risks associated with these procedures, and whether they are appropriate treatment options for your health situation.
Below are questions patients commonly ask prior to scheduling a hysterectomy. Your Community physician will be able to discuss these topics with you in further detail based on your individual health situation.
Is hysterectomy my only option?
Ask your doctor if there are any minimally invasive alternatives to a hysterectomy. First make sure that the option of medical treatment has been adequately explored. This could include birth control pills, the Depo-Provera shot, or a Mirena intrauterine device. Other procedural options could include an endometrial ablation, which can be done for heavy bleeding or a uterine artery embolization, which can be done for fibroids.
How will the hysterectomy be performed?
There are different surgical techniques for performing a hysterectomy. Be sure to ask your doctor which procedure is best for you: abdominal, vaginal or laparoscopic.
Is it necessary to remove the ovaries as part of the hysterectomy?
Patients who have their ovaries removed as part of the hysterectomy will go through menopause following the procedure. The transition is more abrupt with surgical removal of the ovaries than with natural menopause. The ovaries still produce testosterone and small amounts of estrogen after menopause. Because hormone levels vary from woman to woman, medicines don’t always duplicate exactly the biochemical makeup of the ovary. Your doctor will be able to guide you as to whether or not removal of the ovaries should be part of your hysterectomy procedure. If you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, or have endometriosis, you probably want to consider having your ovaries removed.
Will my sex life change after surgery?
In general, post-hysterectomy sexual function is similar to pre-hysterectomy sexual function. The exception is that if you are having the hysterectomy to resolve pain during intercourse, sex should be more enjoyable once the uterus is removed. Studies have shown that post-hysterectomy sexual function is similar whether you leave the cervix in or remove it with the hysterectomy. Your doctor can answer this question based on your particular health situation.
How will I feel during recovery?
A common complaint after surgery is fatigue, so most patients need to take time to rest and recover. Recovery time varies by patient and by how the hysterectomy is performed (abdominally, vaginally or laparoscopically). In general, if you are optimistic going into surgery, you will recover faster than someone who isn’t. Talk to your doctor about any questions you have prior to surgery, no matter how trivial the detail, so you feel as safe as possible before, during and after surgery.
