Hysterectomy
A hysterectomy is a surgical removal of the uterus, resulting in the inability to become pregnant (sterility). Hysterectomy is a very common operation.
A hysterectomy may be done through an abdominal incision (abdominal hysterectomy), a vaginal incision (vaginal hysterectomy), or through laparoscopic incisions (small incisions on the abdomen — laparoscopic hysterectomy).
The uterus may be completely or partially removed, and the tubes and ovaries may also be removed at the time of hysterectomy.
A partial (or supracervical) hysterectomy is removal of just the upper portion of the uterus, leaving the cervix intact. A total hysterectomy is removal of the entire uterus and the cervix. A radical hysterectomy is the removal of the uterus, the tissue on both sides of the cervix (parametrium), and the upper part of the vagina.
Your physician will help you decide which type of hysterectomy is most appropriate for you, depending on your indication for surgery and your medical history.
Indications
Hysterectomy may be recommended for:
- Tumors in the uterus, such as uterine fibroids, and cancer of the endometrium (uterine lining) or uterine wall
- Cancer of the cervix or severe cervical dysplasia (a precancerous condition of the cervix)
- Cancer of the ovary
- Vaginal prolapse
- Severe, long-term (chronic) pelvic pain
- Endometriosis, in those cases in which the pain is severe and not responsive to other treatments
- Severe, long-term (chronic) vaginal bleeding that cannot be controlled by medications
- Uterine prolapse
- Complications during childbirth (bleeding)
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