Basics Regarding Hysterectomy Waco Residents Need To Be Aware Of

By Charles Edwards


There are a number of conditions that may necessitate the removal of a uterus in a woman. The surgical procedure used is what is medically referred to as hysterectomy. There are a number of things on hysterectomy Waco residents need to know if they intend to or have been advised to undergo the same by their doctors. The most important among them is that the affected women will not no longer be able to carry a pregnancy.

There are two main instances in which there may be a need to remove a uterus. The first is in the emergency setting during which the woman has very little choice if at all. This may occur, for example, following the delivery of a baby that is complicated by excessive bleeding from the uterus. Although there are a number of conservative interventions that can be undertaken, surgery is usually needed when these fail.

Most cases of hysterectomy are done electively. Conditions that may necessitate the procedure include cervical cancer, uterine tumors (fibroids, choriocarcinoma and endometrial cancer among others), and excessive uterine bleeding (menorrhagia) due to any other reason. Like in the emergency setting, the decision to do conduct the surgery is reached only after other options have been exhausted.

Like any major surgical operation, there are a number of thing that need to be undertaken as preparation for an individual undergoing the surgery. The extent of the disease needs to be determined as this will in turn dictate the approach to be undertaken by the operating surgeon. Some of the investigations that may be done include imaging studies such as ultrasound and CT scan, blood tests such as hemoglobin.

You will be issued with instructions that you need to follow in the days following to performance of the operation. These are mainly aimed at minimizing the risk of the procedure. For example, if you are a smoker you will be advised to abstain from the habit for a few weeks as a continuation of the same may delay wound healing. It is the same reason that informs the stoppage of blood thinners before surgery.

The surgeons will either use the abdominal route or the vaginal approach to carry out this operation. The choice is made after considering a number of factors such as lesion size, location and the likelihood of complications among others. When carried out by a skilled surgeon, the trans-vaginal approach offers the better outcomes. Such will include less blood loss, faster healing and less scaring.

The abdominal approach allows the surgeon to use the open technique or to conduct the operation laparoscopically. With the open approach, a larger incision is required leading to a higher risk of complications such as excessive bleeding and injury to other structures. The laparoscopic approach, on the other hand, requires smaller incisions hence a lower risk of complications.

The operation itself lasts between one and two hours but this could be longer depending on the indication for the operation. Either general anesthesia or regional anesthesia is used. This is also determined by the underlying condition and the time that the operation is expected to take. You will typically be allowed home after about seventy hours and resumption of the normal routine is in a couple of days.




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