Why do I need a hysterectomy?
A hysterectomy will sometimes become necessary for the following medical reasons:
- Heavy Bleeding - Menorrhagia or bleeding that is very irregular or very painful
- Fibroids which cause pain, bleeding or are very large. A fibroid is a non-cancerous growth of muscle and fibrous tissue. cancer of the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tube/s or cervix
- Endometriosis caused by tissues that normally form inside the uterus forming outside the uterus in the abdominal cavity.
- Prolapse of the uterus, where the uterus falls into the vagina.
- Rectocele and Cystocele (Prolapse of Bowel)
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) or adhesions which cause pain that is not controlled by other means.
- Gynaecological cancer
- Emergencies such as rupture/puncture of the womb during other surgery. Also childbirth may lead to uncontrollable bleeding which may be impossible to stop. In these cases hysterectomy is a life saver.
A hysterectomy may be recommended if none of the initial treatments for these conditions has been successful. When you will actually have the hysterectomy will depend on why you need it. Some of the conditions may clear up on their own or after you have had a d&c operation (dilation and curettage where the lining of the uterus is scraped away and if necessary examined).
You do need to be absolutely sure that you know what the operation will mean for you in the long term and that may mean that you decide that you can live with your condition if, for instance, you would like to have children at a later stage.
Recommended Reading:
The Pocket Guide to Hysterectomy is full of all the information you might need to help you decide whether a hysterectomy is right for you.
Recommended Resources:
- Read what other have to say about the various conditions that lead to hysterectomy
- Check out the forum on Types of Hysterectomy
- You might find our other women’s health articles of interest too
