More and more women in the United States are seeking out hysterectomy alternatives each year. For decades women have been subjected to hysterectomy on the advice of their doctors without fully educating themselves on their options. Studies show that over eight hundred and twenty four thousand women will have a hysterectomy in the year 2005. This makes hysterectomy the most common major surgery performed in the United States next to caesarian section operations.

The sad truth of the matter is that the uterus and pelvic organs are often considered by physicians to be expendable once a woman's childbearing years are over. The pelvic organs are rarely studied outside the realm of reproduction. Most doctors believe that once a woman has had her children, the uterus and ovaries are then useless and can be removed.

Hysterectomies are usually performed when a woman develops an abnormal condition such as endometriosis, fibroid tumors, ovarian cysts, or cervical dysplasia (abnormal growth).. Most medical professionals believe that the best way to rid a woman of these problems is to perform a partial or total hysterectomy. Many medical professionals have not even been trained or educated on the various procedures that can now serve as perfectly suitable Hysterectomy Alternatives.

Modern Medicine and Hysterectomy Alternatives

A hysterectomy is the complete or partial removal of the uterus and other pelvic organs. A complete hysterectomy is when the entire uterus as well as fallopian tubes and ovaries are removed. A partial hysterectomy is described as the removal of the body of the Uterus while conserving the cervix as well as the Ovaries and fallopian tubes. Most doctors suggest total hysterectomies because they can then be assured that cancer of the Ovaries or cervix will not develop.

The problem is that removal of the Ovaries or female castration is terribly destructive to a women. Surgical menopause is abrupt and causes severe symptoms of estrogen deprivation that even replacement does not satisfy a women’s hormonal requirements. The worst news is that ovarian cancer has been described even after dilateral oophorectomy.

Many doctors do not understand why a woman who has pelvic abnormalities would want to keep her Uterus. They often feel that women are being sentimental or superstitious. They do not take into account the tremendous after effects of a hysterectomy including immediate menopause and severe bone density loss. The uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries help to regulate hormones throughout a woman's body. Removal of these organs can result in complications sometimes more severe than the reason for the hysterectomy.

This is why it is important for women to learn all they can about hysterectomy alternatives.

The No-Hysterectomy Option

The “No Hysterectomy Option” empowers women to educate themselves concerning their reproductive problems, learn the alternatives and insist on being part of their health care decisions.

There are several treatment options now available as hysterectomy alternatives. More and more surgeons are being trained for laparoscopic conservative surgery.

Fibroid Tumors

Fibroid tumors are benign tumors that grow on or within the uterus. Fibroids are the most common indication for hysterectomy in the United States. Studies show that twenty to fifty percent of women have fibroids.

Fibroids are made from firm solid fibrous tissue growing in whorls and surrounded by a capsule that makes removal of the tumors fairly routine until the tumors have grown very large. Removal can become difficult if the tumors degenerate or are very vascular.

Most Fibroid Tumors are detected by pelvic examination, and confirmed by ultrasound. Fibroids often grow to the size of a grapefruit while some grow to be only a few centimeters in diameter. Some small fibroids do not cause any damage to the uterus or surrounding organs, however it all depends on location and numbers of the fibroids.

Causes and Symptoms of Fibroid Tumors: Uterine fibroids are caused by a mutation of the gene that controls smooth muscle development of the uterus. Symptoms of fibroid tumors vary depending on where in the uterus they are growing. The most painful symptoms of fibroids occur when they are growing beneath the lining of the uterus. These fibroids can cause excessive bleeding, anemia and extreme pain. Most fibroids can be removed without the need for a hysterectomy.

Most women undergo surgery for fibroid tumors because of the pain and bleeding they experience. Many women panic when fibroids cause them to bleed abnormally. This fear and panic is often what leads them accept hysterectomy as a solution.

Fibroid tumors can also cause abdominal pain when they begin to degenerate within the uterus. This usually happens when fibroids grow so large that they begin to lose their blood supply. The loss of blood flow to the center of the fibroids translates itself as pain Degenerating Uterine Myomas can cause severe inflammation and precipitate emergency major surgery. Uterine Fibroid Tumors are extremely common among women in the United States. Studies show that many women who have fibroid tumors in their uterus are not even aware of it. Fibroid tumors grow in and around various areas of the uterus. They vary in shape and size. Usually complications arise such as bleeding and pelvic pain due to fibroid tumors that grow underneath the lining of the uterus.

Most women do not experience any symptoms of fibroid tumors unless they have grown extremely large. If a woman has a large uterine fibroid tumor then her abdomen may begin to have a pregnant appearance. Tumors that grow inside the muscle wall of the uterus tend to cause pain and vaginal bleeding. Many women who experience abnormally heavy menstrual flow and very bad menstrual cramps may also have fibroid tumors growing under the lining of their uterus.

Many women panic when they hear that they have Uterine Fibroid Tumors. Many women associate the word tumor with cancer, however the majority of fibroid tumors are not cancerous. The chance of a fibroid tumor being cancerous is less than one in a thousand. Most fibroid tumors can be left alone to be monitored every few months. Many of them shrink or disappear on their own.

Uterine Fibroid Tumors and Pregnancy

Fibroids do have a tendency to grow larger during pregnancy due to the extra hormones being produced. Sometimes degenerating fibroids can cause the uterus to contract, resulting in early childbirth. The complications that a woman may experience during pregnancy depend on the size of the tumor and where it is located in the uterus. Many women have been known to carry babies to term with no complications at all, however if the fibroids impact on the cavity of the Uterus they can obstruct the birth, negatively affect the placenta and often lead to prematurity.

Fibroid Tumor Treatments

Myomectomy
The gold standard for removing Uterine fibroids is abdominal myomectomy. Modern Gynecologists have realized that performing minimally invasive surgery such as laparoscopic myomectomy benefits their patients and is more than worth the physician’s extra efforts .Minimally invasive surgery allows more rapid healing ,less blood loss and allows patents to return to their routines much quicker and therefore promotes well being .

Myolysis
Myolysis is a fairly new surgical procedure used to shrink uterine fibroid tumors. The procedure coagulates the blood vessels serving the tumor cutting off its blood supply. The procedure is performed using specially designed 5 cm bipolar needles that are placed into the uterus during a laparoscopic surgery. The procedure is designed to treat moderate sized myomas less than 10 cm. Pre treatment is recommended for ten to twelve weeks using a GnRh agonist to preshrink the tumor. These monthly injections cause the myomas to shrink by reducing estrogen levels. Once the procedure is performed it is expected that tumors will be permanently reduced in size by more that fifty percent.

Side Effects of Myolysis

Myolysis has very little side effects on the body, however most doctors will not perform the surgery on women who wish to become pregnant later on. There have been incidences of uterine rupture when women have attempted to carry babies to term after the operation. Although the procedure does not affect women's fertility, pregnancy is not advisable after the operation.Uterine rupture has also occurred after myomectomy but it is rare. Myomectomy is still the gold standard for removal of fibroids in women desiring pregnancy.

This operation is one of the many surgical procedures that serve as alternatives to partial or total hysterectomies. The operation is particularly successful on women who are past their childbearing years. Preservation of the uterus and ovaries can prevent multiple complications. This operation is ideal for women who have already had their children, but are not ready to lose their pelvic organs.

Uterine Artery Embolization

Uterine Artery Embolization is a technique performed by interventional Radiologists. A puncture is made in the Femoral Artery near the groin and a catheter is placed and threaded into the Aorta and then back down into the Uterine Artery. Millions of microscopic plastic particles are placed into the Artery to cause blockage and thereby subsequent fibroid death. The problem is that if you Embolize a very large fibroid, the tissue death causes necroses of the muscle and severe pain for as long as a month. In addition there are a myriad of potential complications, including improper placement of the embolization catheter. Lastly about 10% of patients have a communication between the Uteine Artery and the Ovary. So post procedure menopause is a real possibility.

Abnormal Uterine Bleeding

The commonest cause of Hysterectomy is abnormal uterine bleeding. However, every women over 40 years of age will have episodes of abnormal Uterine bleeding. This abnormality is the result of less than normal Ovarian function. As a women approaches menopause , the lack of regular ovulatory function results in irregular shedding of the Endometrium. If the examining physician finds a concomitant Uterine fibroid, then Hysterectomy is the most frequently called for solution.

The proper approach to the women with abnormal Uterine bleeding is to perform Endometrial biopsy as well as Ultrasound examination to establish the proper diagnosis. Often the hormonal irregularity can be resolved with a short course of progesterone.

If bleeding continues, then Endometrial Ablation can be performed. This is a procedure in which the lining of the Uterus is destroyed. There are various techniques to accomplish this effect. Ranging from transcervical Endometrial resection with Roller Ball ablation to the newer techniques, including Thermal balloon, Microwave, Cryo, Bipolar technology and finally Hydrothermal Ablation. Whichever technique the physician chooses is not as important as his dedication to performing Hysteroscopic evaluation and attempting to solve the patient’s problems without resorting to the alleged FINAL SOLUTION of all women’s problems ,namely HYSTERECTOMY.

When abnormal bleeding is associated with Uterine Fibroids then I often recommend the addition of Myolysis . Literature review has shown the efficacy of combining both procedures . These procedures are reserved for those women who are post reproductive with Fibroids of 10 cm or less and a desire to preserve their Uterus.

Pelvic Pain. Many women suffer from a condition called chronic pelvic pain where there is no visible reason for a woman to be experiencing pain.

Doctors used to tell women that a lot of this pain was psychosomatic or in their heads. This is not widely believed to be true anymore. Chronic pain ofthe pelvic organs has been linked to stress and a tension filled lifestyle - just like someone may get a neck ache due to tension. Studies have also shown that women who have experienced sexual traumas may experience pelvic pain. More commonly Endometriosis, Uterine Fibroids and the diagnosis of Interstitial Cystitis is a cause of persistant pain.

HYSTEROSCOPY.

This technique allows us to look inside the Uterus by placing a scope into the vagina and minimally dilating the cervix. The scope is 3mm in diameter and saline is used to distend the uterus. we can see tumors, polyps and abnormal tissue. In order to accurately diagnose the causes of uterine bleeding hysteroscopy must be performed. Other techniques  such as fluid ultrasonography are helpful but not as acurate.

Operative Hysteroscopy

This technique is an advanced form of hysteroscopy. Using a specialized instrument called a resctoscope and an electrified loop , we can resect ( remove) fibroid tumors and also ablate the lining of the uterus(endometrium). Resectiong the lining of the endometrium is akin to digging up a lawn and actually cutting away the roots of the grass. If the roots are destroyed completely new grass will not grow. We try to do the same thing with the resectoscope. That is destroy the basal lining of the endometrium. Similarly small fibroid tumors can be removed ina similar fashion. Combining this technique with Myolysis allows us to treat many fibroid conditions that cause heavy bleeding in post reproductive women who WISH TO PRESERVE THEIR UTERUS.

Interstitial Cystitis

This cause of Interstitial Cystitis is not clear but the condition is often associated with Endometriosis. The symptoms may be urinary frequency and urgency but occasionally is limited to lower abdominal pain. The diagnosis may be made by history but is confirmed by instillation of a Potassium Chloride solution which causes no symptoms in the normal bladder but with ICS the lining of the bladder is disrupted and severe discomfort occurs during instillation of Potassium Chloride. The treatment/solution is dietary as well as pharmacological.

Lower Abdominal Pain

Lower abdominal pain can be a symptom of various different pelvic organ dysfunction. Many doctors misdiagnose women who complain of abdominal pain since the symptom can mimic other disorders having to do with the bowels, digestive tract, and stomach. This misdiagnosis is common.

Lower Abdominal Pain can be caused by a number of conditions in the pelvic cavity such as fibroid tumors, ovarian cysts and endometriosis. The pain usually occurs when a lesion comes in contact with another organ causing inflammation. Many women who complain of lower abdominal pain are diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome or acid reflux disease. This is because endometrial lesions can attach to the intestine causing abdominal pain.

Diagnosing Lower Abdominal Pain

The most common causes of abdominal pain in reproductive women include Fibroid tumors,Endometriosis, Ovarian cysts, Irritable Bowel syndrome and interstitial Cystitis.Women who experience chronic abdominal pain could be suffering from endometriosis. Endometriosis is often misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome. This is because the lesions caused by endometriosis often involve the intestine causing extreme pain.

Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue which normally is found inside the uterus begins to grow in areas outside of the uterus. Often times endometrial tissue is extruded out the fallopian tubes during menstruation and attaches to the back of the uterus. This tissue responds to hormonal stimulation and during menstruation weeps and bleeds and causes the severe Abdominal Pain that many women with endometriosis experience.

Most women with endometriosis are told that the only way to get rid of their abdominal pain and pelvic pain is to become pregnant or have a hysterectomy. Unfortunately neither of these solutions are acceptable to many women. Many women experience infertility and for most others the pain returns after pregnancy. Studies also show that almost one quarter of women who undergo hysterectomy for pain relief continue to experience pain after hysterectomy. Endometriosis seems to be an increasingly common condition among women in the United States.

Endometrial tissue is the tissue that grows on the inside of the uterus and forms the lining of the uterus. If a woman does not become pregnant, the endometrial lining is shed each month during her period. Endometriosis is endometrial tissue growing in other areas of the uterus and sometimes outside of the uterus.

Endometrial tissue can grow in or on the ovaries, the sidewalls of the pelvis and the bowels. This extra tissue cannot be shed during a woman's period. Endometrial lesions inflame various organs in and around the pelvic cavity causing pelvic pain and abnormal bleeding.

Symptoms of Endometriosis

The commonest symptom of Endometriosis is menstrual pain and cramping. Many women also experience irregular periods, infertility, stomach pain and upset, and extremely painful sexual intercourse. Endometriosis is also often accompanied by fibroid tumors in the uterus.

Endometrial tissue is often first discovered during a laparoscopy for pelvic pain and infertility. The problem with endometriosis is that it is extremely difficult to diagnose.

Many women in the United States are misdiagnosed with everything from irritable bowel syndrome to stress. Many doctors just chalk up a woman's complaints of pelvic pain to premenstrual syndrome and menstrual cramps. The fact that many women live for years with no symptoms whatsoever of the dysfunction, makes endometriosis even harder to detect. Many doctors have been known to tell women that getting pregnant is a good way to rid herself of the dysfunction, however, there is no medical evidence to back up this theory of different symptoms depending on where the endometrial tissue is growing. Many women experience infertility.

The best method for diagnosis is by an experienced gynecologist who can perform a pelvic examination. Since Endometriosis is often found in the culdesac, the space between the Uterus and the Rectum, performing a combined rectal and vaginal examination is crucial to the diagnosis. Endometriosis symptoms tend to vary depending on where in the body the endometrial tissue is growing. Endometriosis is a condition where the tissue that normally forms the lining of the uterus begins to grow in other areas of the pelvic cavity. Since this tissue cannot be shed during menstruation, it can form lesions and abrasions on various pelvic and reproductive organs. These lesions can rub against surrounding organs causing a variety of problems and complications in the pelvic cavity.

Endometriosis Symptoms often include, abnormally heavy menstrual flow, pelvic pain, back pain, stomach upset and painful ovulation. Endometriosis symptoms often mimic symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, uterine fibroids and menstrual cramps. Since endometriosis is extremely hard to detect many women with symptoms of the condition are misdiagnosed by doctors.

Other Endometriosis Symptoms

Endometriosis is a significant cause of infertility. This happens when the endometrial tissue grows in or around the ovaries. Often the ovaries can become inflamed and develop cysts, tumors and lesions. Once ovulation ceases, so does regular menstruation. For this reason, irregular periods often is accompanied by endometriosis.
While the cause of endometriosis is not clear, some experts believe that endometriosis is caused by retrograde menstrual blood. This is when the tissue that is shed during menstruation is somehow forced back into the pelvic cavity because of spasm in the lower portions of the uterus.

Endometriosis Treatment

There are various forms of endometriosis treatment available for women. One of the most common forms of treatment for endometriosis is hormone therapy. Physicians prescribe synthetic progestin, birth control pills, and Danazol or GnRH agonists. These hormones will make a woman's body temporarily menopausal. This will cause her uterus to stop producing endometrial tissue, which will also stop the growth of tissue outside the uterus. While hormone therapy helps, it is not one hundred percent effective.

Many women's bodies have a low tolerance for synthetic hormones. Synthetic hormones such as progestin can cause uncomfortable side effects such as mood swings, nausea, swelling and even blood clots have been reported. Women who have experienced complications taking the birth control pill, for example are not urged to try hormone therapy as Endometriosis Treatment. Also, endometriosis is likely to return once a woman stops taking the hormones. Unfortunately birth control pills are not very effective in controlling severe endometriosis, but may help for young women with severe menstrual cramps.

New Surgical Endometriosis Treatment

Hysterectomy is still widely used as a treatment for endometriosis. Many doctors feel that removal of the uterus is the most efficient way of ridding a woman of endometriosis. This does not represent the modern approach to treating endometriosis However there are new surgical procedures that remove endometrial tissue while leaving the uterus in tact. This procedure is called pelvicscopic surgery and when done correctly it has a ninety percent success rate. Many gynecological surgeons are becoming very skilled at pelvicscopic or advanced laparoscopic surgery and can remove endometrial lesions without any damage to the surrounding organs.

Ovarian Tumor

The word tumor comes from the greek word for swelling. An ovarian tumor is a solid or cystic swelling that appears in, on or around the ovaries. Most ovarian tumors are harmless. Studies show that ninety-eight percent of ovarian tumors that develop in women before the age of forty-five are benign. Because of the shift in hormone balance after menopause, women are more likely to develop ovarian tumors during or after menopause.

Symptoms of an Ovarian Tumor

Most ovarian tumors are CYSTS,and most ovarian tumors do not have any symptoms at all. However if a tumor has grown very large, has twisted, ruptured or broken apart - painful symptoms may occur. These painful symptoms can include abnormal vaginal bleeding, menstrual cramps, general pelvic ache, sharp pelvic pain and painful sexual intercourse.

Ovarian Mass

An ovarian mass is any type of ovarian cyst or tumor that is either benign or malignant. Most ovarian masses are not harmful since they often consist of functional ovarian cysts. Often an ovarian mass can form when many ovarian cysts are clustered together in close proximity.

The fear of an Ovarian Mass being cancerous is what causes many women to have their ovaries removed at the first sign of an ovarian cyst or mass. This is not particularly necessary since only one in every eighty women in the United States are affected by ovarian cancer. Most doctors examine ovarian masses through the use of an ultrasound or a laparoscopic procedure

Symptoms of an Ovarian Mass

Some ovarian masses can cause pain and discomfort and in some cases they can be dangerous to the ovaries if the grow too big. If an ovarian mass does not shrink or go away within a few months, it is a good idea to have it removed. This can be accomplished by laparoscopic surgery..

Many women become scared when they are told that they have an ovarian tumor. The fear that they feel often makes them rush to make decisions that they normally would not make.

Doctors often suggest hysterectomies and the removal of ovaries for women with ovarian tumors. These procedures are not usually necessary. Laparoscopic removal can identify the nature of the cyst.

Ovarian Pain

Ovarian pain can be caused by a number of different factors, however ovarian cysts are often the main reasons for women to suffer from pain in the ovaries. There are several reasons why ovarian cysts can cause pain in the ovaries. Some follicular cysts begin to cause problems when they do not expel their eggs properly. These follicular cysts can then grow as large as eight centimeters in diameter. Once an ovarian cyst gets this big it can be very painful.

Other ovarian cysts that can cause Ovarian Pain are called luteal cysts. These are cysts that form after an egg has been released from its follicle. During this process, sometimes a small amount of blood collects in the ovary. This small puddle of blood can form a cyst after time. Luteal cysts become painful when they twist, burst or bleed into the ovaries or pelvic cavity. This pain can be dull and persistent or sharp and inconsistent. Bleeding ovarian cysts usually go away naturally.

Other Causes of Ovarian Pain

Ovarian pain can also occur if the ovaries have become swollen for some reason. Usually when a woman has swollen ovaries, she experiences pain during ovulation. This is because of the extra effort it takes for the ovaries to release their eggs. Cysts, hormonal imbalance, raised body temperature and an increase in sexual activity can cause the ovaries to swell. Sometimes women's ovaries become extra sensitive for no apparent reason. When ovaries are overly sensitive, ovulation can often be accompanied by pain.

If you are experiencing chronic pain in your ovaries, it's a good idea to ask your gynecologist for an ultrasound to rule out an enlarged Ovary. There are several treatments to help alleviate pain in the ovaries. Many doctors recommend diet change and taking multivitamin tablets. For those with chronic pain in their ovaries or other pelvic organs there are surgical procedure that can remove cysts, tumors and endometrial tissue.

Ovarian Cysts

Another major reason for a woman to be advised a hysterectomy is the presence of a significant ovarian cyst greater than 5 cm. There are various forms of ovarian cysts many of which are benign or harmless. In fact the ovaries are designed to produce cysts each month during the process of ovulation. Most women's ovaries always contain small cysts that are less than three centimeters in diameter. When Ovarian cysts become complex and grow more than 5cm physicians become concerned about the possibility of cancer. Hysterectomy is not necessary if the cyst is benign. The nature of the cyst can be determined at surgery by frozen section pathological examination. Most often the laparoscopic approach is the preferable approach for cyst removal.

When a woman is ovulating, the ovaries create small cysts filled with a nourishing fluid in which the eggs develop. When an egg is released, these cysts usually burst. The tissue inside the pelvic cavity then absorbs the fluids inside them. After the egg is released another small, more solid cyst forms in the area where the egg used to be.This structure is called the corpus luteum, and serves to nourish the lining of the uterus in preparation for pregnancy. If pregnancy does not occur then the corpus luteum would normally degenerate and disappear. These small Ovarian Cysts are called functional cysts. They are a completely normal part of the ovulation process.

Dysfunctional Ovarian Cysts

Cysts usually become dysfunctional when they grow larger than four centimeters. There are various different types of cysts that can develop in a woman's ovaries. Women tend to have various different symptoms depending on the size and type of cysts that they have. Many women who have abnormally large cysts in their ovaries are not even aware of it because they have no painful symptoms.

Complex Ovarian Cysts

Complex ovarian cysts are potentially dangerous, in that most malignancies have internal component that make them complex .One type of benign complex cyst is an endometrioma which are often referred to as chocolate cysts.. Endometriomas are usually filled with old blood that has the appearance of chocolate syrup..

Hysterectomy Procedures

The performance of HYSTERECTOMY should be recommended as a LAST RESORT. If malignancy exists or if other options described above have been attempted uncessfully. There are several different types of hysterectomy procedures that are commonly performed on women in the United States.

The most common procedure is called a total hysterectomy. This is the operation that removes both the uterus and the ovaries. This procedure causes a woman to begin menopause almost immediately after the operation because of the removal of the ovaries This type of menopause is called surgical menopause. Because of the abrupt nature of the Estrogen withdrawl the menopausal symptoms are severe and immediate. These organs can be removed through an incision in the abdomen or the vagina.

A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure whereby the uterus with or without the ovaries are removed through an incision in the abdomen or the vagina. This procedure is the second most common major operation performed in the United States next to cesarean section operation.

Hysterectomy Alternatives

A hysterectomy is commonly offered to women who suffer from extreme menstrual cramps, heavy monthly bleeding, anemia and severe abnormal pelvic pain. These symptoms are often caused by fibroid tumors or endometiosis. Most tumors are harmless, but can cause severe discomfort . Women who have large fibroids often have abdomens that look as though they are pregnant.

What many women are not told is that there are several different alternatives to hysterectomies. Many women in the United States are deciding on less drastic surgical procedures such as myomectomy.. A myomectomy can remove fibroid tumors while keeping the pelvic organs in tact. Before considering surgery of any kind women should educate themselves on the many different ways to treat pelvic organ dysfunction.

Vaginal Hysterectomy

A vaginal hysterectomy is a less commonly performed hysterectomy where the uterus and/or ovaries are removed through the vagina rather than through an abdominal incision. While most hysterectomies are abdominal, some doctors recommend vaginal hysterectomy when a woman is suffering from cervical dysplasia. The mode of hysterectomy depends on the size of the uterus , accompanying intraabdominal pathology and the skill of the surgeon to perform advanced vaginal surgery. The reason why a vaginal hysterectomy is suggested for cervical dysplasia is because the uterus is usually of normal size and the procedure is technically easy to perform.

Vaginal hysterectomies are not suggested for women who have large fibroid tumors or ovarian cysts as the uterus must be small enough to pass through the vaginal canal. Many women who have not been through childbirth may not have vaginal canals that are large enough for the procedure.

Laparoscopic Assisted Vaginal Hysterectomy

Another form of hysterectomy is called laparoscopic assisted Vaginal Hysterectomy. This procedure uses a laparoscopic approach to remove the upper portions of the uterus, also to allow the surgeon to survey the entire abdomen and remove safely intestines that may have adhered to the uterus in cases of endometriosis. Laparoscopic approach actually allows the skilled surgeon to convert a potential abdominal hysterectomy into a vaginal one. The recovery is shorter and the patient disability is less.

Partial Hysterectomy

Partial hysterectomy refers to the removal of the body of the uterus leaving the cervix intact. The value of this procedure is that the nerves and blood vessels that supply the lower portions of the pelvis and vagina are preserved.

A not infrequent sequella of total hysterectomy is actual prolapse of the vaginal vault in later years. Therefore when I must of necessity perform Hysterectomy, I recommend a supracervical or subtotal hysterectomy. I also believe it is wise to preserve ovaries whenever possible. Even postmenopausal women have some function in their ovaries.

Although a Partial Hysterectomy can be less shocking to a woman's system than a total hysterectomy, it can still be accompanied by rather severe after effects. For example, even though your ovaries are still intact, the sudden cessation of menstruation can change the hormone levels in the body causing menopausal symptoms and early menopause.

Partial Hysterectomy Side Effects

When a uterus is removed, even if the ovaries are left in tact, the blood flow to the ovaries significantly decreases making it harder for them to maintain proper hormone levels. For this reason many women who may have had low bone density to begin with can develop are more likely to develop osteoporosis after the surgical removal of her uterus.

There are also many sexual side effects that come from undergoing any kind of hysterectomy. Many doctors claim that as long as the ovaries are left in tact, then there is no reason for a woman to have a decreased libido after a hysterectomy. However, studies show that partial hysterectomies can decrease hormone levels and this, in turn, will decrease a woman's libido. Many women also say that sex is often painful after for them after they have undergone the surgery. This, understandably, can significantly lower their sex drive.

Hysterectomy Recovery

Complete hysterectomy recovery usually takes from four to six weeks for most women. Women are told to expect to feel exhausted after the operation and to rest whenever they feel they need to. Recovery time may vary depending on the type of hysterectomy that was performed on you and how healthy you were before the operation.

Hysterectomy Recovery Time

For many women, hysterectomy recovery can become an extremely long process. Laparoscopic surgery decrease remarkably the recovery time. Even if laparoscopic assisted techniques are used ,patients can usually return to work in two or three weeks, depending on their physical shape prior to surgery. If your ovaries have been removed you are most likely to begin menopause immediately. This takes a lot of adjustment on behalf of your body and means that your recovery must now include hormone replacement therapy. Many women experience complications when they begin taking synthetic hormones since there is just no comparison to the real thing.

These days there are many surgical alternatives to hysterectomy that are far less painful and require less recovery time. Laparoscopic myomectomy, a surgical procedure wherein fibroid tumors are removed by advanced laparoscopic surgery has you walking out of the hospital the very next day. Having any or all of your pelvic organs removed can create a domino effect of health issues. Be sure you know all of your options before agreeing to undergo a hysterectomy.

It is important for women to begin to understand the long lasting after effects a hysterectomy procedure can have on their body. Over six hundred thousand hysterectomies are performed on women each year, many of which may be INDICATED MEDICALLY BUT ARE NOT NECESSARY.

In the words of a well known retailer “OUR BEST PATIENT IS AN INFORMED CONSUMER.”