How to Know the Risks of Hysterectomy Surgery

Know the risks of hysterectomy surgery before you go through with the operation. There are alternative options to hysterectomy surgery and you may want to consider them, given the side effects and chances of complications.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Talk things over with your doctor. Your doctor is the person who will be able to explain things to you the best. Ask as many questions as you can think of and get as much information as possible.
2. Understand what an abdominal hysterectomy entails. This is done through a large incision in the lower abdomen. Complete recovery takes 4 to 8 weeks.
3. Understand what a vaginal or laproscopic hysterectomy entails. This is done through a smaller incision in the vagina or just above the vagina (laproscopic). Recovery time from this is usually a bit shorter, in 1 or 2 weeks.
4. Understand the general risks and side effects. The most common complications are post-operative fever and infection. Some of the risks associated with hysterectomy surgery are: adhesion to other organs, bladder or bowel injury, injury to the ureter and excessive bleeding.
5. Understand the risks that are inherent in all surgeries. For a hysterectomy, you will be put under an aesthetic and there are risks involved with that. There is also the chance of damage to surrounding organs and the development of blood clots.
6. Understand common ongoing side-effects. After the operation, it is not uncommon for women to experience decreased sexual drive, and increased vaginal dryness. Women who are pre-menopausal will essentially have their menstrual cycle ceased, and that may affect them psychologically as well.
7. Go over the alternatives. You will find many alternatives to hysterectomy in your research. For most cases other than cancer, a hysterectomy is not an urgent operation. Weigh the benefits against the risks and side-effects before making your decision.

Tips & Warnings

• An abdominal operation has less risks, but more pain and longer recovery time. Vaginal and laproscopic are considerably less invasive and have shorter recovery times.
• Depending on your case, there may be hormone replacement therapy available to combat side effects.
• Make sure to discuss with your gynecologist about when it is safe to resume sexual activities. Penetrative sex before healing is complete could cause damage.