Hysterectomy Information and Resources

Hysterectomy911.com is your one-stop shop for information on hysterectomy alternatives and current practice. We provide you with a venue for freely and easily airing your thoughts and opinions on the procedure and issues surrounding it. Here you can meet other women with whom you can interact and discuss issues surrounding and related to hysterectomies. Hysterectomy911.com is your forum for sharing new ideas, attitudes, and feelings on hysterectomies.

What is Hysterectomy?

Have you or anyone you know been advised by a doctor to undergo a hysterectomy? Hysterectomy comes from two Greek words: hystera which means womb and ektomia which means to cut off. It is a surgical procedure performed by an Ob-Gyn to remove the uterus. The uterus is where fetal development takes place. A hysterectomy is performed to treat problems with the uterus and entire reproductive system. According to the latest census, 10% of hysterectomies are due to cancer. Doctors may suggest alternative treatments depending on the case but if they do not work, the next option may be hysterectomy. » Read More..

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Hysterectomy Risks

Posted on January 11, 2010 | 1 Comment


  



















Hysterectomy is one of the most commonly performed surgeries, and one of the safest surgeries, too. This may be attributed to doctors gaining more expertise from performing the procedure on a regular basis. In addition, most of the women who undergo hysterectomy are generally healthy, which helps ward off the complications.

Occurrences of hysterectomy risks are relatively low, with only ten percent of hysterectomy patients experiencing any kind of complication. Because open or abdominal hysterectomy is usually the technique used for difficult cases, it is the type of hysterectomy that comes with the most risks.

Hysterectomy Risks – What You Can Expect

Hysterectomy risks include the risks that come with all types of surgeries, as well as risks that are caused by the use of anesthesia. However, the following are the risks that are particular to a hysterectomy surgery:

  • Bleeding after the surgery that lasts until the recovery period
  • Bleeding during surgery, which may call for blood transfusion
  • Damage to the tube (ureter) that connects the bladder and the kidney
  • Damage to organs close to the uterus
  • A bruise or collection of blood (hematoma) around the area where the surgery was performed
  • Inability to urinate after the hysterectomy
  • Wound separation
  • Blood clot in legs (DVT)

Hysterectomy Risks – What You Should Know

Before undergoing the procedure, it helps for you to be aware of the risks of hysterectomy. It is then important for you to have a dialog with your doctor about the consequences of hysterectomy. Here are some things you should ask your doctor:

  • What you can do to minimize the chances of hysterectomy risks?
  • If there are tests you must take in order to determine problems that may cause complications
  • If you will keep your ovaries
  • If you should take antibiotics to prevent the complications from occurring
  • How many hysterectomies the surgeon has performed?
  • How many of the hysterectomies performed led to complications?
  • The type of hysterectomy that the surgeon recommends
  • The procedure with the least hysterectomy risks
  • If there are hysterectomy techniques that cause more or less complications than the others

When making a decision on whether to go through with the hysterectomy or not, it’s important to be aware of the different risks of hysterectomy, so that you can determine if the benefits from the surgery outweigh the risks that come with it.

Hysterectomy Surgery

Posted on January 11, 2010 | Leave a Comment


  



















Known as the most commonly performed surgery among women, hysterectomy surgery is the removal of the uterus in order to treat diseases and conditions that can no longer be treated using more conventional means such as medication, therapies, or other types of surgeries. Depending on the medical condition and its severity, other parts of the reproductive system may also be removed such as the cervix, vagina, ovaries, or the fallopian tubes.

Some of the general effects of hysterectomy surgery include the inability to conceive, and the beginning of menopause if the woman isn’t in the menopause stage yet.

When to Undergo Hysterectomy Surgery

Hysterectomy may become necessary if other medical treatments and procedures fail to cure the medical condition, or if the condition is deteriorating the patient’s quality of life. The following are some of these conditions:

  • Hemorrhage
  • Uterine prolapse
  • Chronic pain
  • Chronic bleeding
  • Cancer
  • Endometriosis
  • Fibroids

Types of Hysterectomy Surgery

There are different types of hysterectomy surgery, and these are based on the reproductive parts that are removed. There are also different techniques for performing the surgery.

The following are the types of hysterectomy surgery:

Subtotal or partial hysterectomy. In this type of hysterectomy, the ovaries and cervix are kept, and only a part of the uterus is removed.

Total hysterectomy. This hysterectomy surgery is when both the cervix and the uterus are removed. The ovaries can either remain or be removed as well.

Radical hysterectomy. This type of hysterectomy is performed when the cervix, uterus, ovaries, and even the vagina need to be removed.

On the other hand, the techniques for performing a hysterectomy surgery are the following:

Abdominal hysterectomy. In this hysterectomy surgery, an incision is made on the abdomen. The incision can either be horizontal across the bikini line or vertical from the pubic bone to the belly button.

Vaginal hysterectomy. This technique is when the uterus is removed by incising the vagina.

Laparoscopic assisted hysterectomy. This technique is used for delicate cases where the surgeon would need to look inside the woman’s abdomen with a camera during the surgery. In this technique, a laparoscope is used with a vaginal hysterectomy.

Recovery from Hysterectomy Surgery

Recovery from hysterectomy surgery usually takes some time, with one to four days of hospital stay.

Recovery from a vaginal or laparoscopic hysterectomy takes 1 to 2 weeks, while recovery from abdominal hysterectomy takes around 4 to 8 weeks.

A woman who underwent hysterectomy can resume sexual activity and take tub baths after 6 weeks.

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