Reasons to undergo hysterectomy (uterus removal)

A hysterectomy is a process to remove the uterus, mostly both ovaries and fallopian tubes. As per the studies, nearly 5, 00,000 women undergo hysterectomies every year and suffer from the after effects of surgery.

Why remove uterus?

The reasons to undergo a painful procedure of hysterectomy may vary from woman to woman. Some of the common reasons are given below:

·         Severe bleeding after the delivery of a baby. In this case, a uterus surgery may be performed to control severe bleeding after childbirth.

·         Unusual vaginal bleeding. Such bleeding could be due to infection, uterine fibroids, cancer or hormonal changes.

·         Uterine prolapse. This condition takes place when the uterus moves into the vagina from its usual place in the abdomen. Uterine prolapse can occur because of obesity, after multiple deliveries or menopause. It can cause a pressure on the pelvis and trouble while urinating.

·         Endometriosis. The condition shows up when uterine tissue grows on the ovaries or other structures in the pelvis, leading to pain and bleeding.

·         Adenomyosis. This occurs when tissue from the uterine lining grows inside the uterine walls. Adenomyosis can also cause severe pain and heavy bleeding.

·         Various types of cancer.

·         Uterine fibroids.

Side effects associated with uterus removal

Hysterectomy comes with some risks of minor and major complications. But in most of the cases, women do not have any complications post uterus removal.

Some of the complications that may occur are:

·         Bowel injury

·         Heavy blood loss needing blood transfusion

·         Blood clot in lung

·         Bladder injury

·         Anesthesia problems

·         Wound pulling open

·         Need to change to abdominal incision during surgery

·         Collection of blood at the surgery side requiring surgical drainage

·         Fever

·         Infection

·         Difficulty in urinating

·         Early menopause

·         The formation of scar tissue in the pelvic area

·         Weakness of the pelvic muscles and ligaments that support the bladder, vagina, and rectum.