Approximately 20 million women in the United States have had a hysterectomy as of 2008, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This surgical procedure involves removing a woman's uterus through her abdomen or vagina. In certain cases, a woman may have a partial hysterectomy, in which the cervix remains intact and only the upper portion of the uterus is removed. Women who have this type of surgical procedure, which is also referred to as a subtotal or supracervical hysterectomy, should discuss the potential complications of a partial hysterectomy with a medical professional.
Hemorrhage
Women who undergo a partial hysterectomy are at an increased risk of developing hemorrhage or bleeding complications during or following surgery, UpToDate warns. Though hemorrhage complications are rare, affected women may require a blood transfusion or additional surgery to resolve this side effect.
Urinary Tract or Bowel Damage
During a partial hysterectomy, a surgeon may inadvertently damage the organs that surround the uterus, such as the urinary tract or bowel, Better Health Channel explains. Affected women can develop bowel movement or urination problems due to this damage. Injury to the bowel can make it difficult for a woman to produce a bowel movement, a complication called constipation. Urinary tract trauma can lead to difficulty urinating or urinary retention, a complication in which the bladder can't be completely voided of urine. Such complications can increase a woman's risk of developing urinary tract infections. If these complications arise, a doctor may insert a catheter into a woman's bladder, or prescribe laxatives to help alleviate urination and bowel problems.
Painful Intercourse
Certain women can experience pain during intercourse as a complication of this surgical procedure, WomensHealth.gov reports. Tight, tough scar tissue can form around a woman's reproductive tract, which can make vaginal penetration uncomfortable or painful. This complication of a partial hysterectomy is typically temporary and resolves once a woman's body has healed.
Infection
Serious infection complications can arise in approximately 10 percent of women following a hysterectomy, UpToDate warns. Though women commonly develop a low-grade fever following a partial hysterectomy, women who experience persistently high fever symptoms may have an infection. Affected women should seek medical care as additional antibiotic treatment may be necessary to resolve infection symptoms.
Blood Clots
Pelvic surgery increases a woman's risk of developing blood clots within her lungs or veins after surgery, The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reports. A blood clot is a small mass of thickened blood components that can attach to the internal wall of a blood vessel. If a blood clot detaches from the inside of a blood vessel, it can travel to a woman's lungs. Women who develop blood clots within the lungs are at risk of developing life-threatening medical complications and require immediate medical attention.
References
- UpToDate: Abdominal Hysterectomy
- Better Health Channel: Hysterectomy - Side Effects and Possible Complications
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Women's Reproductive Health - Hysterectomy
- WomensHealth.gov: Hysterectomy - What are the risks of having a hysterectomy?
- The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Hysterectomy
