Hysterectomy Alternatives- Why You Should Seek Them

Hysterectomy is a procedure used to treat a number of medical conditions, involving the female reproductive organs. These include fibroids (myomas), excessive bleeding (menorrhagia), severe cramps (dysmenorrheal), and cancer among others.

During a hysterectomy, the uterus and possibly other reproductive organs such as the ovaries, cervix, and fallopian tubes are removed. Immediately, this makes the woman unable to bear children and could place a woman in menopause, especially if the ovaries are removed at the same time. Because of such permanent consequences to undergoing a hysterectomy, doctors usually perform a hysterectomy as a last resort. A woman should seek hysterectomy alternatives before considering a hysterectomy surgery.

Statistics show that ninety percent of hysterectomy cases are elective and not because of life-threatening conditions. The rationale around this is that if a woman no longer wants to bear children or is at the age when the ovaries are about to stop functioning then her uterus and possibly the ovaries might as well be removed, as these organs may be the cause of cancer.

In addition, a hysterectomy also has a lot of physical and psychological effects on the woman, which might outweigh its benefits. Hysterectomy also poses some risks and complications that may shorten instead of prolong life.

It is then important to explore all hysterectomy alternatives with your doctor before deciding on undergoing hysterectomy. There are a lot of hysterectomy alternatives for various medical conditions, and these hysterectomy alternatives may be all you need to treat your ailment. Hysterectomy alternatives come in the form of medications or less invasive procedures that won’t cause permanent side effects on the woman’s health.

The following are conditions where hysterectomy alternatives might not be possible, and only a hysterectomy surgery might provide treatment:

• A ruptured uterus from giving birth
• Excessive uterine bleeding either from a gynecological or obstetrical cause
• Infection that cannot be treated by medications
• Cancer in the reproductive organs

On the other hand, the following are conditions where hysterectomy might be elective and where hysterectomy alternatives might provide better options:

• Certain hyperplasia cases
• Severe infections in the pelvis
• Fibroid tumors
• Endometriosis
• Uterine prolapse