Hysterectomy
A hysterectomy is an operation to remove the uterus. This surgery may be done for different reasons, including:
- Uterine fibroids that cause pain, bleeding, or other problems
- Uterine prolapse, which is a sliding of the uterus from its normal position into the vaginal canal
- Cancer of the uterus, cervix, or ovaries
- Endometriosis
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Adenomyosis, or a thickening of the uterus
Risks
A hysterectomy is generally very safe, but with any major surgery comes the risk of complications.
Risks associated with an abdominal hysterectomy include:
- Blood clots
- Infection
- Excessive bleeding
- Adverse reaction to anesthesia
- Damage to your urinary tract, bladder, rectum or other pelvic structures during surgery, which may require further surgical repair
- Earlier onset of menopause even if the ovaries aren’t removed
- Rarely, death
