A hysterectomy is a surgical operation in which all or part of the uterus is removed.
Hysterectomy is a major operation that require general anaesthetic, few days in hospital and up to 4 to 6 weeks of recovery.
Hysterectomy for Adenomyosis Risks and Side Effects
Surgical risks include anaesthetic complications, blood transfusion, infection, wound issues, and rarely injuries to bowel, bladder and ureter (tube connecting kidney to bladder). The overall risk of severe complication from hysterectomy is 3.5 to 11% and hysterectomy mortality rate can be as high as 0.15%.
Long term side effects of hysterectomy are prolapse and urinary incontinence, early menopause and higher risk of cardiovascular disease (even with ovaries left behind), change of sexual feeling and constipation, and so called post hysterectomy syndrome with depression and lethargy.
If you have uterine cancer, your only choice may be to remove the uterus. However, an overwhelming amount of hysterectomies in developed countries – like Australia and the United States – are performed for benign conditions such as fibroids and adenomyosis.
Adenomyosis Alternative Treatment to Hysterectomy
In the past, when conservative treatments fail or are deemed unsuitable, women are faced with the difficult decision to put up with symptoms or having a hysterectomy.
Today, there are now many effective, non-surgical forms of adenomyosis treatment, hysterectomies for adenomyosis should be considered as a last resort, if all other less invasive methods have failed. Depending on your specific situation, medical therapy, Mirena IUD (56% patient satisfaction) or uterine artery embolisation (90% patient satisfaction) should be considered before embarking on hysterectomy.
Find out about UAE as Alternative to Hysterectomy
Hysterectomy in-depth discussion