Hysterectomy Meaning, Purpose, Procedure, Risks, Recovery

Hysterectomy Meaning

A hysterectomy is a common surgical procedure many women undergo to treat a variety of health conditions specific to the female reproductive system by removing the uterus. There are variations of the procedure that include different parts of the reproductive system depending on the nature of the condition.

Hysterectomy Purpose

This surgery may be done for different reasons, including:

• Uterine fibroids that cause pain, bleeding, or other problems
• Uterine prolapse, which is a sliding of the uterus from its normal position into the vaginal canal
• Cancer of the uterus, cervix, or ovaries
• Endometriosis
• Abnormal vaginal bleeding
• Chronic pelvic pain
• Adenomyosis, or a thickening of the uterus

Hysterectomy Procedure

A hysterectomy can be performed in several ways. All methods require a general or local anaesthetic.

A general anaesthetic will put you to sleep throughout the procedure so that you don’t feel any pain.

A local anaesthetic will numb your body below the waistline, but you’ll remain awake during the surgery. This type of anaesthetic will sometimes be combined with a sedative, which will help you feel sleepy and relaxed during the procedure.

Abdominal Hysterectomy

During an abdominal hysterectomy, your doctor removes your uterus through a large cut in your abdomen. The incision may be vertical or horizontal. Both types of incisions tend to heal well and leave a little scarring.

Vaginal Hysterectomy

During a vaginal hysterectomy, your uterus is removed through a small incision made inside the vagina. There are no external cuts, so there won’t be any visible scars.

Laparoscopic Hysterectomy

During a laparoscopic hysterectomy, your doctor uses a tiny instrument called a laparoscope. A laparoscope is a long, thin tube with high-intensity light and a high-resolution camera at the front.

The instrument is inserted through incisions in the abdomen. Three or four small incisions are made instead of one large incision. Once the surgeon can see your uterus, they’ll cut the uterus into small pieces and remove it one piece at a time.

Hysterectomy Risks

Most people who get a hysterectomy have no serious problems or complications from the surgery. Still, a hysterectomy is major surgery and is not without risks. Those complications include:

• Urinary incontinence
• Vaginal prolapse (part of the vagina coming out of the body)
• Vaginal fistula formation (an abnormal connection that forms between the vagina and bladder or rectum)
• Chronic pain

Other risks from hysterectomy include wound infections, blood clots, haemorrhage, and injury to surrounding organs, although these are uncommon.

Hysterectomy Recovery

Depending on the type of hysterectomy you’ve had, you’ll most likely need to spend 1 to 5 days in the hospital. Your doctor will give you medication for the pain and monitor your vital signs, like your breathing and heart rate.

You’ll also be encouraged to walk around the hospital as soon as possible. Walking helps prevent blood clots from forming in the legs.

If you’ve had a vaginal hysterectomy, your vagina will be packed with gauze to control the bleeding. The doctors will remove the gauze within a few days after the surgery.

But you may experience bloody or brownish drainage from your vagina for a few days after that. Wearing a menstrual pad can help protect your clothing from getting stained.

When you return home from the hospital, it’s important to continue walking. You can walk around inside your house or around your neighbourhood. But you should avoid performing certain activities during recovery. These include:

• pushing and pulling objects, like a vacuum cleaner
• lifting heavy items
• bending
• sexual intercourse

If you’ve had a vaginal or laparoscopic hysterectomy, you’ll probably be able to return to most of your regular activities within 3 to 4 weeks. Recovery time will be a little longer if you’ve had an abdominal hysterectomy. You should be completely healed in about 6 to 8 weeks.