Vaginal hysterectomy the procedure and recovery

Vaginal hysterectomy the procedure and recoveryA hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus; the procedure is generally performed by a gynecologist instead of a general surgeon. A hysterectomy maybe total meaning the removal of the body, fundus and cervix of the uterus. Or partial, which entails the removal of the uterine body but leaving the cervix in place. It is one of the most commonly performed gynecological surgical procedures. The procedure in itself is quite radical and is it renders the patient unable to bear children it is reserved for a few conditions. Like cancers of the reproductive system , prophylactically, in cases of endometriosis, post partum in women in cases of placenta praevia  and many others. Vaginal hysterectomy procedure or also known as laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy has become really popular in nowadays with all those involved in the procedure: patient, doctor and family members. This is because the procedure is not all that invasive as a total abdominal hysterectomy neither is it that radical. The procedure is also favored by most patients since the bleeding is very minimal in this case as compared to the radical total abdominal hysterectomy, the procedure is also not performed under a general anesthesia and is performed under local one. This also eliminates most of the complications related to the anesthesia.  The post operative recovery time in this procedure is also much lesser the total hospitalization time is also reduced as are the chances of post operative complications. The procedure is performed so in a manner so that the final removal of the uterus is done through the vagina. But this procedure gives the gynecologist the option of leaving the cervix behind, this is known as laparoscopic assisted supracervical hysterectomy. This is done so that the patient can retain the pleasure of sexual activity post procedure. This is done using an instrument called the morcellator which cuts the uterus into small pieces which then are removed from the abdominal cavity through laparoscopic ports. In cases of large multifibroid uteri total laparoscopic hysterectomy can be performed with on site morcellation. Total hysterectomy causes the patient to undergo menopause much earlier as well as with a bilateral oopherectomy which entails removal of both the ovaries the blood estrogen level starts to fall. This can cause heart disease as well as many musculoskeletal disorders in women post procedure. Procedural side effects include , hemorrhage, risk of infection and side effects related to anesthesia used in the procedure. Eventually women may also need to start treatment with oral hormone replacement therapy. This is generally a consideration made to ease the transition of women into menopause, the risk being that HRT may increase the risk of breast cancer in menopausal hysterectomized women. The advantages and disadvantages should carefully be evaluated before you start treatment. Women post procedure have also complained of chronic fatigue syndrome. And there is also the possibility to have a decreased libido and hence the sex life generally takes a hit, this however can be avoided by HRT.