Hysterectomy—Open Surgery
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Hysterectomy is the surgical term for the removal of the uterus (womb). This results in the inability to become pregnant. The surgery may be done through the abdomen or the vagina. This is a common surgery in the United States.
This type of surgery can be:
- Partial or subtotal hysterectomy—removal of the uterus (without removing the cervix)
- Total, complete, or simple hysterectomy—removal of the uterus and cervix (the opening of the uterus leading to the vagina)
- Radical hysterectomy—removal of the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, upper part of the vagina, and the pelvic lymph nodes
- Salpingo-oophorectomy
—removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes (may be combined with any of the above procedures)
You may have a hysterectomy if your uterus is causing health problems that cannot be treated by other means. Some reasons a woman may have a hysterectomy are to:
-
Treat cancers such as
uterine
, endometrial, or
ovarian
cancers
-
Remove
uterine fibroids
—common, benign (noncancerous) tumors that grow in the muscle of the uterus
- Treat chronic pelvic pain
- Treat heavy bleeding
Explore your options before having a hysterectomy. There are other treatments for many of these problems.
If you are planning to have hysterectomy, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:
Some factors that may increase the risk of complications include:
- Obesity
- Smoking
- Heart or lung disease
- Diabetes
- Previous pelvic surgery or serious infection
- Use of prescription and nonprescription drugs during the past month
Be sure to discuss the risks with your doctor before surgery.
Your doctor may do the following:
- Blood and urine tests
- X-ray
of abdomen and kidneys—a test that uses radiation to take a picture of structures inside the body
- Pelvic ultrasound
—a test that uses sound waves to visualize organs in the abdomen
- Dilation and curettage
(D&C)—surgical removal of tissue from the lining of the uterus (to check for cancer)
- Ask you to take enemas to clean out your intestines
You should do the following:
-
Talk to your doctor about your medicines. You may be asked to stop taking some medicines up to one week before the procedure, like:
- If instructed, take antibiotics.
- Arrange for a ride home and for help at home.
- Eat a light meal the night before the surgery. Do not eat or drink anything after midnight.
Most of the time
general anesthesia
is used. It blocks pain and keeps you asleep through the surgery. It is given through an IV in your hand or arm.
There are two different methods that are described here.
The doctor will make a cut in your lower abdomen. This is to expose the tissue and blood vessels that surround the uterus. The tissue will then be cut. The blood vessels will be tied off. The uterus will be removed. Next, the doctor will sew the tissue back together and close the skin with stitches or staples. If the cervix is taken out with the uterus, you will also have stitches put in the back of your vagina.
Abdominal Hysterectomy
The uterus is removed through the abdomen.
© 2011 Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.
This method will not involve any outside incisions. The doctor will stretch the vagina and keep it open with special tools. He will then cut free the uterus and cervix. The connecting blood vessels will be tied off. Next, the doctor will remove the uterus and cervix through the vagina. Lastly, the doctor will close the top of the vagina with stitches.
Vaginal Hysterectomy
The uterus is removed through the vagina.
© 2011 Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.
With each procedure, a vaginal "packing" (sterile gauze) is placed in the vagina. This will be removed after 1-2 days.
If you have other medical problems, the doctor may need to remove or repair other organs or tissue.
Your doctor will send tissue samples to the lab to be analyzed. In the recovery room, you will have IV fluids and medicines.
1-3 hours
You will likely have pain, fullness, bloating, and vaginal bleeding or discharge during the first few days. Your doctor will give you pain medicine.
- Open Abdominal hysterectomy: 3-5 days
- Vaginal hysterectomy: 1-2 days
Your doctor may choose to keep you longer if complications arise.
While you are recovering at the hospital, you may receive the following care:
- On the first night, you may be instructed to sit up in bed and walk a short distance.
- During the next morning, the IV will probably be removed if you are eating and drinking well.
- You may need to wear special stockings or boots to help prevent blood clots.
- You may have a foley catheter in your bladder for a short time to help you urinate.
When you return home, do the following to help ensure a smooth recovery:
-
Follow your doctor's
instructions
.
- Take proper care of the incision site. This will help to prevent an infection.
- Ask your doctor about when it is safe to shower, bathe, or soak in water.
- During the first two weeks, rest and avoid lifting. But be sure to get yourself out of bed for long periods of time each day.
- Slowly increase your activities. Begin with light chores and short walks. Depending on your job, you may be able to return to work.
- Check with your doctor to see when it is safe to drive again.
-
To promote healing, eat a diet rich in
fruits and vegetables
. Ask your doctor if you need to take
iron
.
-
Try to avoid
constipation
by:
-
Ask your doctor when you can use tampons. Also ask about
Kegel exercises
.
- Wait six weeks before resuming sexual activity.
-
If you still have a cervix, you will still need regular
Pap smears
.
Recovery from open abdominal hysterectomy usually takes 6-8 weeks. Recovery time will be quicker for other methods (eg,
laparoscopic surgery
).
After you leave the hospital, contact your doctor if any of the following occurs:
- Signs of infection, including fever and chills
- Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, leakage, or any discharge from the incision site
- Incision opens up
- Nausea and/or vomiting that you cannot control with the medicines you were given after surgery, or which persist for more than two days after discharge from the hospital
- Dizziness or fainting
- Cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain
- Heavy bleeding
- Pain that you cannot control with the medicines you have been given
- Pain, burning, urgency or frequency of urination, or persistent bleeding in the urine
- Swelling, redness, or pain in your leg
In case of an emergency, call for medical help right away.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
National Uterine Fibroids Foundation
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Alternatives to Hysterectomy in the Management of Leiomyomas
, Practice bulletin No. 96, August 2008; Reaffirmed 2010.
Hysterectomy.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists website. Available at:
http://www.acog.org
. Published March 2006. Accessed September 8, 2009.
Hysterectomy: frequently asked questions.
Women's Health.gov website. Available at:
http://www.womenshealth.gov/
. Updated July 2006. Accessed September 8, 2009.
Last Reviewed September 2011