If you are a woman and are told that you have to have a hysterectomy, it can stir up many emotional as well as physical concerns. Most women have a desire to have children and if they have not yet been able to conceive, they have a difficult time letting go of their uterus. There is also a problem with letting go of their feminine body parts. There is worry over early menopause due to the surgical procedure. Besides all of those concerns, there is also the concern of the surgical procedure itself and the scars that will be left as a result from the surgery.

First of all, you may want to know what a hysterectomy is. A hysterectomy is an operation to remove the woman’s uterus. The uterus is the place that the baby grows inside the woman when she is pregnant. In some cases the fallopian tubes may need to be removed as well as the cervix. There are several types of hysterectomies:

• Complete or Total- In this type of hysterectomy, the cervix and the uterus are removed.
• Partial or Subtotal- In this type of hysterectomy, the upper part of the uterus is removed and the cervix is left in place.
• Radical- In this type of hysterectomy, the uterus, cervix, upper part of the vagina and supporting tissues are removed.
• Oophorectomy- The surgical removal of one or both ovaries.

In many cases an Oophorectomy may be performed at the time of the hysterectomy.

When you have a hysterectomy, your monthly periods will stop. You will not be able to get pregnant and you may have some menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness.

Why do women need hysterectomies?

There are several reasons that a woman may have to have a hysterectomy. Below is a list of some of the reasons:

• Fibroids- Uterine Fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that attach to the uterine wall. Some women experience very little symptoms and need no surgical treatment for uterine fibroids. However, for the women that do have difficulties They may experience the following symptoms:
• Abdominal fullness

• Bleeding between periods or heavy bleeding
• Increase in urinary frequency
• Pelvic cramping

• Endometriosis- This is a condition when the tissue lining inside the uterus grows outside of the uterus and onto the ovaries, fallopian tubes and abdominal organs. This causes pain, irregular bleeding and possible infertility. The symptoms of endometriosis are:

• Painful periods
• Pain in the lower abdomen
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Painful bowel movements
• Infertility

Uterine Prolapse- A uterine prolapse occurs when the uterus falls down into the vagina. This can lead to painful bowel movements, and urinary problems. A woman with a prolapsed uterus may experience the following symptoms:

• Painful sexual intercourse
• Backaches
• Protrusion from the vaginal opening
• Vaginal bleeding
• Pulling of the pelvic area

Cancer- A woman could have cancer in her ovaries, cervix or uterus. This would result is a cause for a removal of the organs.Persistent Vaginal Bleeding- A hysterectomy could bring relief to those women that have persistent bleeding that is heavy for their menstrual cycle.

The Types of Surgical Hysterectomies

There are three ways to have a hysterectomy; vaginally, abdominally, and laparoscopically.

• Vaginal Hysterectomy- This type of hysterectomy is a surgical procedure that removes the uterus through the vagina. This type of surgery results in a shorter hospital stay, lower cost, and faster recovery. However, if the uterus is enlarged, this is not an option for that patient. The patient will be under general anesthesia during the procedure. Then, the patient is placed in a recovery room until they are able to urinate. The hospital stay can be from 1-5 days.
• Abdominal Hysterectomy- Through this surgical procedure, the uterus is removed through a small lower abdominal incision. The procedure will last about two hours. The patient will be under general anesthesia during this procedure. After the surgery, the patient is placed in a recovery room until they are able to urinate. The hospital stay can be from 1-5 days.
• Laparoscopic Hysterectomy- This is a relatively new type of surgical procedure. This surgical procedure allows for the uterus to be removed form inside the body by the use of laparoscopic instruments that allow the surgeon to uterus, tubes, and ovaries with a camera attached to a telescope. The good thing about this procedure is that the incisions are very small and there is much less recovery time. Most of the time, this procedure is an outpatient surgery. Furthermore, the patient can be allowed to resume normal activity within 2 weeks after this surgery. For the procedure, the patient will be placed under general anesthesia during the procedure. Then, the patient will be moved to the recovery room. Once the patient has urinated, they may be allowed to go home with a prescription of pain medications.

Risks associated with a hysterectomy

As with any surgical procedure, there are some risks involved with having a hysterectomy. The risks involved are as follows:

• Blood clots
• Infection
• Excessive bleeding
• Adverse reaction to anesthesia
• Early onset of menopause
• Sometimes (death)
• Damage to the urinary tract

Hysterectomy Recovery Time

The recovery time can vary after having a hysterectomy. It will take your body about a year to heal on the inside. However, if you have the laparoscopic surgery, you can resume normal activities within two weeks. It may take some time for the soreness to wear off and you may experience some early menopausal problems. Most women that have had a hysterectomy are glad that they did it.

Sex after a Hysterectomy

A lot of women fear that their sex life will not be the same after a hysterectomy. This is not the case most of the time. In general, most women enjoy sex more after they have healed. If there was excessive pain before the hysterectomy, the sex can be enjoyed more after the surgery. It is also nice not to have to worry about those annoying menstrual periods anymore!