Do You Know? That after a hysterectomy, if the ovaries are removed, a woman will enter menopause.

Emobileclinic Trending Topic :Hysterectomy 

Do You Know?

That after a hysterectomy, if the ovaries are removed, a woman will enter menopause. 

That If the ovaries were not removed, a woman may enter menopause at an earlier age than she would have otherwise.

That most women are told to abstain from sex and avoid lifting heavy objects for six weeks after hysterectomy.

That after a hysterectomy, most women  feel the operation was successful at improving or curing their main problem (for example, pain or heavy periods).

What is hysterectomy?

hysterectomy is a procedure that where the uterus is removed. This is always considered as a last resort if other treatments fail. The option of Hysterectomy is influenced by a lots of factors namely ;

The presence of uterine fibroids with associated pain 

Bleeding 

Uterine prolapse 

Abnormal bleeding 

Cancer of the uterus, cervix, or ovaries

Endometriosis

Chronic pelvic pain

Adenomyosis, or a thickening of the uterus

Types of Hysterectomy

Inexactly : This is a case where the specialist remove either the uterus or part of the uterus. 

 Supracervial or subtotal hysterectomy, the specialist removes only the upper part of the uterus, keeping the cervix in place.

Total hysterectomy the specialist  removes the whole uterus and cervix.

 Radical hysterectomy: This is usually the option in cancer related case. The procedure  removes the whole uterus, tissue on the sides of the uterus, the cervix, and the top part of the vagina. 

There may be a situation where the  ovaries will have to be removed and the procedure is called oophorectomy 

Operation  Techniques 

This is influenced by the level of experience of the specialist and the reason behind the operation.

There are two approaches to surgery;

 A traditional or open surgery 

 Surgery using a minimally invasive procedure or MIP.

Open Surgery Hysterectomy

An abdominal hysterectomy is an open surgery. This is the most common approach to hysterectomy, accounting for about 65% of all procedures.

To perform an abdominal hysterectomy, a surgeon makes a 5- to 7-inch incision, either up-and-down or side-to-side, across the belly. The surgeon then removes the uterus through this incision.

On average, a woman spends more than three days in the hospital following an abdominal hysterectomy. There is also, after healing, a visible scar at the location of the incision.

MIP Hysterectomy

There are several approaches that can be used for an MIP hysterectomy:

Vaginal hysterectomy: The surgeon creates a cut in the vagina and removes the uterus through this incision. The incision is closed, leaving no visible scar.

Laparoscopic hysterectomy: This surgery is done using a laparoscope, which is a tube with a lighted camera, and surgical tools inserted through several small cuts made in the belly or, in the case of a single site laparoscopic procedure, one small cut made in the belly button. The surgeon performs the hysterectomy from outside the body, viewing the operation on a video screen.

Laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy: Using laparoscopic surgical tools, a surgeon removes the uterus through an incision in the vagina.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy: This procedure is similar to a laparoscopic hysterectomy, but the surgeon controls a sophisticated robotic system of surgical tools from outside the body. Advanced technology allows the surgeon to use natural wrist movements and view the hysterectomy on a three-dimensional screen.

Comparison of MIP Hysterectomy and Abdominal Hysterectomy

Advantages of MIP approach to remove the uterus;

an MIP allows for faster recovery, shorter hospital stays, less pain and scarring, and a lower chance of infection than does an abdominal hysterectomy.

With an MIP, women are generally able to resume their normal activity within an average of three to four weeks, compared to four to six weeks for an abdominal hysterectomy. 

Costs associated with an MIP are considerably lower than the costs associated with open surgery, depending on the instruments used and the time spent in the operating room. Robotic procedures, however, can be much more expensive. 

There is also less risk of incisional hernias with an MIP.

Not every woman is a good candidate for a minimally invasive procedure. The presence of scar tissue from previous surgeries, obesity, and health status can all affect whether or not an MIP is advisable. Discuss these options with your doctor,he will be in the best position to you whether you might be a candidate for an MIP or not

Risks of Hysterectomy

Hysterectomy is a low-risk surgery. Most women who undergo hysterectomy have no serious problems or complications from the surgery. However, as with any surgery, hysterectomy can result in complications for a small minority of women. Those complications include:

Urinary incontinence

Vaginal prolapse (part of the vagina coming out of the body)

Fistula formation (an abnormal connection that forms between the vagina and bladder)

Chronic pain

Other risks from hysterectomy include ;

wound infections

blood clots

 hemorrhage

 injury to surrounding organs, although these are uncommon.