A hysterectomy is surgery to remove the uterus (womb), where a fetus grows during pregnancy. It treats problems such as heavy bleeding, pain or cancer of the uterus. Afterward you no longer have periods and can't become pregnant. The surgery sometimes also removes the ovaries and fallopian tubes; if both ovaries are removed, menopause symptoms usually begin.
When it's recommended
Hysterectomy is major surgery, so your provider may suggest other options first — medicine, hormone therapy, or procedures to remove fibroids or stop heavy bleeding. When those don't help, or surgery is the only option, a hysterectomy may be recommended for:
| Condition | |
|---|---|
| Fibroids | if you're near or past menopause, or have large fibroids or very heavy bleeding |
| Endometriosis | not cured by medicine or surgery |
| Uterine prolapse | the uterus drops into the vagina — possible after several vaginal births, after menopause, or with obesity |
| Cancer | of the uterus, cervix, ovaries or endometrium (the uterine lining) |
| Vaginal bleeding | heavy or unusual, and continuing despite treatment |
| Chronic pelvic pain | starting in the uterus — a last resort, since surgery doesn't fix some pelvic pain |
| Adenomyosis | a thickening of the uterine walls — only if pain is severe and nothing else has worked |
Types
| Type | What's removed |
|---|---|
| Total (most common) | the whole uterus, including the cervix; ovaries and tubes may or may not be removed |
| Partial (subtotal or supracervical) | only the upper uterus; the cervix stays |
| Radical | the uterus, cervix, tissue on both sides of the cervix and the upper vagina — most often for certain cancers, such as cervical cancer |
Methods
Your provider will choose based on your health, the reason for surgery and other factors:
| Method | How | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Abdominal | a cut in the lower belly | used for a large uterus or to check other pelvic organs; longest recovery |
| Vaginal | a small cut in the vagina | may not work with very large fibroids |
| Laparoscopic | small cuts in the belly or vagina, with a thin, lighted tube and camera | not suitable for every kind of fibroid |
| Robotic | the surgeon guides a robotic arm through small cuts in the lower belly |
Recovery takes about four to six weeks, depending on the surgery.
Risks
Results are usually good, but like any surgery, a hysterectomy carries risks. More serious ones include heavy bleeding during surgery, infection and blood clots. Talk with your provider about the benefits and risks for you.
Sources
Based on "Hysterectomy," MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, with a summary from the Office on Women's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from medlineplus.gov
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