Hysterectomy

A hysterectomy is an operation to remove a woman's uterus (womb). The uterus is where a baby grows when a woman is pregnant. Sometimes the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and cervix are removed at the same time the uterus is removed. These organs are located in a woman's lower abdomen (see image below). The cervix is the lower end of the uterus. The ovaries are organs that produce eggs and hormones. The fallopian tubes carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus.

Hysterectomy is the second most common major surgery among women in the United States. (The most common major surgery that women have is cesarean section delivery.) Each year, more than 600,000 hysterectomies are done. About one third of women in the United States have had a hysterectomy by age 60.

Image source: National Cancer Institute

If you haven't reached menopause yet, a hysterectomy will stop your monthly bleeding (periods). You also won't be able to get pregnant.

There are several types of hysterectomy:

• A complete or total hysterectomy removes the cervix as well as the uterus. This is the most common type of hysterectomy.

• A partial or subtotal hysterectomy (also called a supracervical hysterectomy) removes the upper part of the uterus and leaves the cervix in place.

• A radical hysterectomy removes the uterus, the cervix, the upper part of the vagina, and supporting tissues. This is done in some cases of cancer.

Often one or both ovaries and fallopian tubes are removed at the same time a hysterectomy is done. When both ovaries and both tubes are removed, it is called a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy.

If the ovaries are removed in a woman before she reaches menopause, the sudden loss of her main source of female hormones will cause her to suddenly enter menopause (surgical menopause). This can cause more severe symptoms than a natural menopause.

Hysterectomies are done through a cut in the abdomen (abdominal hysterectomy) or the vagina (vaginal hysterectomy). Sometimes an instrument called a laparoscope is used to help see inside the abdomen. The type of surgery that is done depends on the reason for the surgery. Abdominal hysterectomies are more common than vaginal hysterectomies and usually require a longer recovery time.