Hysterectomy side effects

Most experts estimate that 25 to 50 percent of hysterectomy patients will have one or more complications although they consider most of them to be minor or reversible.

Pregnancy issue
First, a hysterectomy ends a woman's ability to become pregnant.
 
Incontinence
Studies also indicate that women who have had hysterectomy have a 60 percent greater risk of being incontinent by 60 years of age.
 
Increased blood clotting
Additionally, since the uterus produces prostacyclin, a hormone that inhibits blood clots, removal of this organ may make blood more likely to clot and could be a factor in the increased risk of heart attack among women who have had a hysterectomy.

Hormone replacement therapy
If the ovaries are taken out along with the uterus, a woman will definitely loose most of her supply of the female sex hormone, estrogen.
 
Other operation complications
Other postoperative complications may include severe vaginal bleeding, injury to the bowel or bladder, infection, persistent pain and diminished sexual response. Many women also report fatigue, weight gain, aching joints, urinary tract disorders and depression after having a hysterectomy.

Hysterectomy and pregnancy

Patients, especially younger women, should know that hysterectomy will definitely end their ability to become pregnant. If they think they might want to become pregnant in the future, they should ask their doctor about the alternatives to this surgery. In case of cancer, hysterectomy might be the only option. The most important thing to know is that, once a hysterectomy of any kind is performed, pregnancy is no longer possible. If the ovaries of a premenopause woman are removed, the ovulation will also stop. This means there will be a drop in production of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone, which can cause vaginal dryness, hot flushes, sweating and other associated symptoms of natural menopause. 

Hysterectomy alternatives

Doctors often recommend hysterectomy to relieve conditions like chronic pain or heavy bleeding even though there are a variety of other therapies that can be tried. All these methods are intended to leave woman fertile and able to get pregnant.

Some of the most common alternatives are:

Medications
Several different medications may be given to reduce or stop heavy bleeding and they are generally used on the short term basis to provide symptom relief.

Endometrial ablation
This is a procedure which involves the removal or stripping of the lining of the uterus, which is shed each month in the form of a period. It is proven that endometrial ablation can successfully reduce or stop heavy bleeding in 85 per cent of cases.

Conservative treatment of fibroids
The size, number and position of the fibroids determines the treatment options offered but they can be treated using medication. They can also be starved of a blood supply required for growth.

Surgical removal of endometriosis
This procedure involves cutting or burning out tissue deposits and adhesions from such areas as the ovaries, bladder, bowel, uterus, pelvic walls and ligaments which support the uterus.

Removal of adenomyosis
Adenomyosis can be literally cut out leaving the uterus intact. This procedure is recommended for those women who wish to become pregnant.
 
Myomectomy
If a patient has fibroid tumors, a myomectomy can surgically remove the tumors while leaving the uterus intact. Although there's a risk that the tumors could come back, this may be the best option if you want to have children.

Hysterectomy and ectopic pregnancy

Many women who had their uterus removed but still have her ovaries and tubes are worried that they might develop an ectopic pregnancy. Even though this might sound strange, it is possible.

The pregnancy may occur in the fallopian tube (ectopic pregnancy) or in the abdominal cavity. In both cases, this is not a pregnancy that has a good future. However, this is incredibly uncommon as there are only 36 reports of such pregnancies in the world's literature. Most of the reported cases happened immediately after the hysterectomy, apparently because an already fertilized egg was in transit down the fallopian tubes at the time of the surgery. The chance of an ectopic pregnancy occurring after a hysterectomy is so uncommon that there is no need to use any form of contraception afterwards.