In a hysterectomy, a surgeon removes the uterus and sometimes the ovaries and Fallopian tubes as well. Hysterectomy is a major surgery that renders a woman incapable of carrying a pregnancy. Hysterectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures performed on women, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Hospitalization
The surgeon can remove the uterus through an incision in the abdomen or in the vagina. In general, vaginal hysterectomy is less invasive but is not appropriate for everyone. After an abdominal hysterectomy, which requires general anesthesia, the patient remains in the recovery room for several hours. Although she might be able to walk the following day, the typical hospital stay ranges from one to four days. For vaginal hysterectomy, the surgeon can use general anesthesia or a spinal block so that the patient remains awake. With a spinal block, the recovery room stay is shorter, only a few hours. The total hospital stay after vaginal hysterectomy is usually one to three days.
Recovery
Following either type of hysterectomy, women usually experience a bloody vaginal discharge for several days. The Mayo Clinic warns that flow as heavy as a normal menstrual period indicates a problem. Full recovery from an abdominal hysterectomy takes six to eight weeks. To ensure healing of the incision, the patient should not lift heavy objects. Full recovery from a vaginal hysterectomy takes only one to two weeks.
Physical Effects
After a hysterectomy, a woman will not be able to carry a pregnancy and she will no longer have menstrual periods. If her ovaries were also removed, she will abruptly enter menopause, as well. Even if her ovaries remain intact, she might start menopause earlier than normal. Doctors can prescribe hormonal regimens to ease the menopausal symptoms.
Emotional Effects
Some women experience a sense of loss after hysterectomy, because they can no longer have children or because they feel less feminine. Other women experience profound relief from the symptoms that prompted the hysterectomy and from the fear of an unintentional pregnancy.
Sexual Effects
The Mayo Clinic advises women to wait about six weeks after an abdominal or vaginal hysterectomy to resume sexual intercourse. After total recovery, relief from chronic pelvic pain or heavy bleeding can heighten a woman's enjoyment of sex, according to the Mayo Clinic. If the ovaries were removed too, a woman might experience vaginal dryness. Medical News Today says that without the uterine contractions, orgasm might feel different.
