A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure performed to remove a woman's uterus, often as a treatment for cancer, complications from childbirth or severe, chronic uterine conditions. Hysterectomies may be partial (removal of the upper uterus only), complete (removal of the full uterus and cervix) or radical (removal of the uterus, tissue on both sides of the cervix and part of the vagina). According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the risks of a hysterectomy are among the lowest of any surgery; however, some side effects may occur.
General Side Effects
Hysterectomies can cause side effects that may be serious in some people. During the surgery, injury to the urinary tract or nearby organs such as the bowel or bladder may occur. Blood vessels may also become damaged as a result of the removal of the uterus, interfering with blood flow in the pelvic region. According to the National Institutes of Health, some women may experience pain during sexual intercourse for some time after the surgery.
Depending upon the type of hysterectomy you have--abdominal (hysterectomy performed through an incision in the lower abdomen), vaginal (hysterectomy performed through the vagina), laparoscopic (uterus removed in pieces through very small holes in the abdomen) or laparoscopically-assisted vaginal hysterectomy (uterus is removed through the vagina with assistance from a light-transmitting device inserted through small holes in the abdomen)--you may be at slightly different risk of these side effects. According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, an abdominal hysterectomy may decrease the risk of damage to nearby organs because the abdominal incision offers a larger and clearer view of the uterine cavity for the surgeon. An abdominal hysterectomy, however, causes scarring in the abdomen which can cause more pain and increase healing time. Healing time for a vaginal hysterectomy, on the other hand, may be shorter because it does not cause abdominal scarring. Laparoscopic and laparoscopically-assisted vaginal hysterectomies may require shorter recovery time because of the reduced size of the incision; however, they may also require more surgical time to complete and increase the risk of nearby organ damage.
Early Menopause
According to the National Institutes of Health, a hysterectomy may lead to the early onset of menopause if the ovaries are also removed during surgery. Results from a prospective study of premenopausal women with and without hysterectomies published in a 2005 issue of "BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology" lend support to this statement. The authors of the study found that, controlling for certain hormone levels, women in the hysterectomy group reached menopause 3.7 years earlier than women in the non-hysterectomy group, regardless of whether or not their ovaries had been removed. Further, women in the hysterectomy group who had a unilateral oophorectomy (removal of one ovary) reached menopause 4.4 years earlier than women with hysterectomies who retained both of their ovaries.
Other Possible Side Effects
A hysterectomy can cause side effects that are inherently possible with any surgery. According to the National Institutes of Health, these potential side effects include uncontrolled bleeding, life-threatening blood clots that form and travel to the lungs, infection and breathing problems. Serious or fatal allergic reactions may also occur in reaction to the anesthesia.
References
- "BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology;" The association of hysterectomy and menopause: a prospective cohort study; Farquhar CM et al.; July 2005
- The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Hysterectomy
- National Institutes of Health: Hysterectomy
