Hysterectomy is defined as the surgical procedure to remove the uterus. Once done, women will no longer be able to get pregnant after the operation. And, if they still did not go through menopause, they will no longer have periods irrespective of their age. It is more common for women aged between 40-50. In the medical world, this is known as surgical menopause.
This surgery helps to treat health problems that affect the female reproductive system, some of which include:
- heavy periods
- long-term pelvic pain
- non-cancerous tumours (fibroids)
- ovarian cancer,
- womb cancer,
- cervical cancer or
- cancer of the fallopian tubes
Types of Hysterectomy
The best Urogynecologists in Chennai have expertise in performing various types of hysterectomies. Depending on the patient’s condition, they remove some or all of the uterus and possibly additional parts of the reproductive system. The following are the main types of hysterectomy:
- Total Hysterectomy – The surgeons here remove the uterus and the cervix, but not the ovaries. Doctors consider this the most common type of hysterectomy.
- Hysterectomy with Oophorectomy – The surgeon removes the uterus, one or both of the ovaries, and sometimes even the fallopian tubes.
- Radical Hysterectomy – The surgeon removes the uterus, cervix, the top portion of the vagina, most of the tissue that surrounds the cervix, and sometimes the pelvic lymph nodes. This type of hysterectomy can be an option for treating cancer.
- Supracervical Hysterectomy -The surgeons remove the body of the uterus, but keep the cervix intact. Supracervical type of hysterectomy can treat non-cancerous conditions like fibroids or endometriosis.
The procedures followed for Hysterectomy
After a hysterectomy, women spend a brief recovery time in the hospital. The recovery time depends on the kind of procedure they had.
- In Abdominal hysterectomy, most women return home 2-3 days after the surgery, but complete recovery takes from six to eight weeks. During this time, they must rest at home and refrain from doing any tasks until the doctor lifts the restrictions. For the first two weeks, walking is encouraged but no heavy lifting.
- Laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy is less surgically invasive than an abdominal procedure. The recovery from this procedure can be of two weeks. Many women return home the same day or the next.
- Laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy is the least invasive and has a recovery period of six days to two weeks.
- A Robotic hysterectomy is the surgeon’s movements mimicked by robotic arms that make small incisions to remove the uterus. Most women come home the next day but if the cervix is removed, certain restrictions are imposed that are similar to the LAVH.
However, women must call an urogynecology doctor in Chennai in case they face any of the following symptoms-
- Fever or chills
- Heavy bleeding
- Unusual vaginal discharge
- Severe pain
- Redness from the incisions made
- Problems urinating
- Shortness of breath or chest pain
Hysterectomy is a major operation that requires a long recovery time and is considered a significant treatment that requires care for recovery. After surgery advice by doctors must be taken seriously and followed sincerely.
