What is a Hysterectomy?
A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of a woman’s uterus. The most common reasons for having a hysterectomy include:
- Fibroids
- Endometriosis
- Adenomyosis
- Abnormal Bleeding
- Chronic Pelvic Pain
- Cancer of the uterus, cervix, or ovaries
- Prolapse of the uterus
While hysterectomy is the second most common surgery performed on reproductive-age women in the U.S., after cesarean section, It’s estimated that 20 percent of all hysterectomies are unnecessary because physicians are under-utilizing alternative treatments. Benign conditions, such as fibroids and adenomyosis, can be treated with less invasive methods, such as UFE.
Facts & Statistics
Hysterectomy surgery encompasses several types of procedures, including:
- Supracervical, subtotal or partial hysterectomy – This surgery involves the removal of your upper uterus, leaving the cervix in place.
- Total hysterectomy – Your fibroid doctor removes the whole uterus, including the cervix.
- Radical hysterectomy – This procedure involves removing your whole uterus and the cervix, as well as the tissue on the sides surrounding your uterus and the top part of your vagina.
Common Symptoms
A hysterectomy can cure debilitating symptoms that are commonly associated with fibroids, polyps, endometriosis, and adenomyosis, including:
Additional symptoms may include:
- -Unpredictable menstrual cycles
- -Pelvic pressure, distended and bloated abdomen
- -Anemia that can lead to a lack of energy and fatigue
- -Diarrhea
- -Constipation
Benefits & Risks
A hysterectomy is a major operation for a woman, as it ends menstruation and a woman’s ability to conceive. Good candidates for a hysterectomy are women who have completed their childbearing or do not wish to conceive.
At Viva Eve, our team of specialists will explore all of your treatment options with you and discuss whether any other method of treatment would work for your symptoms. Patients receive thorough facts and candid conversation about procedures and treatment options.
Benefits
- It is the only curative solution for fibroids.
- Permanently relieves symptoms – stops heavy bleeding and relieves pain.
- Can dramatically improve quality of life.
Risks
- Risks associated with major surgery, general anesthesia, and hospitalization.
- Hormonal changes and potential long-term side effects if ovaries are removed.
- Up to six weeks of recovery.
- Vaginal prolapse
- Urinary incontinence
- Chronic pain
- Wound infections
- Injury to surrounding tissue or organs, such as your bladder, intestines or blood vessels
- Blood clots or hemorrhage
- Fistula formation, an abnormal connection forming between your vagina and bladder, often from scar tissue
