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Hysterectomies

The uterus is an important part of a woman's reproductive system. The uterus, or womb, is where a baby spends his or her time developing and growing before birth. A hysterectomy is an operation that removes the uterus, and in some cases, other parts of the reproductive system.

Hysterectomy Types

The three types of hysterectomies are:

Radical Hysterectomy: During a radical hysterectomy, the cervix, the uterus, the ovaries, parts of the vagina and other surrounding tissues are removed.
Sub-total or partial Hysterectomy: In a subtotal hysterectomy, the surgeon removes the uterus.
Total or Complete Hysterectomy: A surgeon removes the cervix and the uterus during a total hysterectomy, the most frequently occurring hysterectomy type.

Causes of Hysterectomies

A physician might recommend a hysterectomy because of problems including:

Bleeding: Exceptionally heavy bleeding during menstruation may lead to a hysterectomy.
Cancer: A hysterectomy might be performed as part of treating uterine, cervical or ovarian cancer.
Endometriosis: Endometriosis can cause severe pain.
Fibroids: Fibroids, or benign tumors that can grow on the walls of the uterus, are the most common reason that hysterectomies are performed.
Pelvic Pain
Prolapse: Prolapse can occur during the aging process when the vagina begins to sag. If the bladder or the rectum is being pulled with the vagina, a hysterectomy might be required.

Sometimes one cause alone can lead to having surgery. In other cases, a combination of causes will lead to a physician recommending a hysterectomy. Since many of these causes are also symptoms of other problems, a hysterectomy is not always the best solution.

It is very important to contact your doctor if you are experiencing any problems relating to your reproductive system. The symptoms you are experiencing may be easily treated without requiring surgery.

Ovarian Cysts and Hysterectomies

If surgery is required to remove ovarian cysts, a hysterectomy is one the three surgical remedies available today. Your physician may suggest a hysterectomy if you are post menopausal as a means to reduce the risk of getting cancer if you have an ovarian cyst. Your doctor will probably recommend a radical hysterectomy if a biopsy of your cyst shows cancer.

Hysterectomy Recovery

Your recovery will depend in part on the type of hysterectomy that you have and whether your surgery was abdominal, the most common procedure, or vaginal. Patients who have had vaginal surgeries tend to recover more quickly than those who have had abdominal surgeries because vaginal surgeries are less invasive. Regardless of the type of surgery, most women can start engaging in sex after about six weeks.

Sex after Hysterectomy

Some women react differently to sex after a hysterectomy. Women might find sex more pleasurable because they no longer have pain or heavy bleeding and do not have to worry about becoming pregnant.

If the ovaries are removed, women may feel less pleasure because of lack of hormones. Some women may not be able to experience orgasms or may feel “dry.” Emotional feelings about not being able to have children may also have a negative impact on sex after a hysterectomy.

If you experience sexual problems after you surgery, contact your physician. Your doctor may be able to prescribe hormonal replacement therapy after a hysterectomy to help, as well as other available treatments.

Resources

New York State Department of Health. Hysterectomy. Retrieved June 21, 2007, from http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/consumer/
women/hyster.htm.

OvarianCysts.com. Ovarian Cysts. Retrieved June 21, 2007, from http://www.ovarian-cysts.com/articles/ovarian-cyst-treatments/index.php.

United States Department of Health & Human Services. Common Uterine Conditions. Retrieved June 21, 2007, from http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/uterine1.htm.

WomensHealth.gov. Hysterectomy. Retrieved June 21, 2007, from http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/hysterectomy.htm.

Women’s Health Matters. Ovarian Cysts Health Center FAQs. Retrieved June 21, 2007, from http://www.womenshealthmatters.ca/Centres/pelvic_health/
oviarian_cysts/FAQs/index.html.

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