If you’re facing a hysterectomy in Scottsdale, you’re not alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half a million women have a hysterectomy every year. In fact, about a third of all women will have their uterus removed by the time they are 60 years old.
If you think you know why women get hysterectomies, what’s removed, or how the surgery is done, think again. The facts about this common procedure might just surprise you. We’ve put together this list of three things you might not know about having a hysterectomy.
1. 90% of all hysterectomies in the United States are elective. That doesn’t mean that women just wake up one day and ask their doctor to remove their uterus. What it means is that only about 10% of all hysterectomies are done because the woman’s life depends on it.
There are a variety of reasons why women get a hysterectomy in Scottsdale:
• Fibroids, which are benign tumors that can cause pain and heavy bleeding;
• Endometriosis, where the endometrial lining grows outside the uterus in the abdominal cavity;
• Adenomyosis, a condition where the uterine lining thickens;
• Uterine prolapse;
• Heavy cramps and bleeding;
• Uterine cancer.
Of all of these conditions, only uterine cancer is life-threatening. The rest can all be treated in a variety of ways, but many returns again and again. So some women who have completed their families or know that they no longer wish to have children elect for a hysterectomy to relieve the pain permanently.
2. There is not just one type of hysterectomy in Scottsdale. All hysterectomies remove at least part of the uterus, but not all hysterectomies are created equal.
With a partial hysterectomy, the surgeon removes only the top part of the uterus and leaves the bottom, including the cervix, in place. A partial hysterectomy does not significantly affect your sex life because the vagina and cervix remain intact.
A total hysterectomy in Scottsdale includes the removal of the uterus and cervix. In many cases, especially if the areas are affected by endometriosis or other conditions, the surgeon may also remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes, but many doctors leave the ovaries if they can. The ovaries continue to make estrogen to keep you healthy as you age.
Surgeons rarely perform a radical hysterectomy, a procedure in which the uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes, ovaries, and any other affected abdominal organ are removed. A radical hysterectomy is usually performed when the doctor finds cancer.
3. There are different types of surgeries. In the case of a radical hysterectomy in Scottsdale, the surgeon almost always performs an open incision or abdominal surgery. This type is the longest surgery and poses the most risk of blood loss, clots, and infection.
Another type of surgery used for hysterectomies is laparoscopic surgery. This surgery involves several small incisions that allow tiny cameras and surgical instruments to be inserted into the abdomen to remove the organ.
The patient will have a small scar at the bottom of their stomach where the organs are removed, with far less scarring than total abdominal surgery. Today, many laparoscopic hysterectomies are performed robotically.
Another common hysterectomy is a vaginal surgery, which combines some of the aspects of laparoscopic surgery in that tiny incisions allow cameras and instruments into the abdomen, but the uterus is removed through the vagina. This method is often the shortest surgery and results in the least scarring.
Thankfully, you don’t have to decide which type of hysterectomy in Scottsdale is best for you, or even if you need a hysterectomy at all. You can call our office today to schedule a consultation so we can discuss which options are best for you.
