Smart health facts: Hysterectomy
If you are seeing your doctor about heavy periods, fibroid tumors or pelvic pain, your doctor may suggest a hysterectomy. In many cases, you have other options. Talk with your doctor about your situation and the right choice for you.
A hysterectomy is taking out the uterus. It may also involve removing other organs and tissue. There are 3 ways your surgeon may perform this surgery: by making a cut in your lower abdomen, through your vagina or through a small tube (laparoscopic surgery). It may take up to 6 weeks to recover.
Why you might need a hysterectomy
Your doctor may recommend a hysterectomy:
- To treat cancer of the uterus or cervix
- To stop heavy periods or pain caused by fibroids
- To treat other conditions, for example, endometriosis, a sagging uterus (uterine prolapse), ongoing vaginal bleeding and chronic pelvic pain
Understand the risks of a hysterectomy
- Blood clots in your leg or pelvic veins
- Injuries to other organs including your bladder or bowels
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Allergic reaction to the anesthesia, medicine or materials that are used during surgery
- Early menopause (if the ovaries are also removed)
- Infection
Ask your doctor about other options
- For fibroid tumors (these are non-cancerous): watchful waiting, taking out only the fibroids (myomectomy) and not the uterus, uterine artery embolization and hormonal therapy
- For uterine prolapse: a pessary (a removable device put in the vagina to hold up the uterus), and physical therapy to strengthen the pelvic floor and reduce symptoms
- For endometriosis: hormonal drug therapy
- For unusual bleeding (not due to fibroid tumors or cancer): watchful waiting, destroy the lining of the uterus (endometrial ablation), hormonal therapy and medicine to reduce bleeding
- For a growth that isn’t cancer: hormonal drug therapy or removal of taking out the part of the cervix that has the growth
Learn more
Log in to your Priority Health account on this website to see:
Other sources of information:
1Obstetrics and Gynecology, February 2000
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