If you are suffering from uterine fibroids, cervical dysplasia or any other health issues related to the uterus, your doctor can recommend a hysterectomy.
It is a surgical removal of the uterus, which results in the inability to become pregnant.
There are three different options available in hysterectomy.
The uterus or womb is the most important reproductive organ for every woman. It is the place where your baby grows, if you’re pregnant. It is place where the ovaries produce eggs to be fertilized and hormones that usually regulate your menstruation cycle.
So, when this particular uterus is responsible for causing potentially life-threatening health risks or any other unbearable problems for you, your doctor would recommend removal of the uterus through hysterectomy.
Reasons to choose vaginal hysterectomy
Most people will go for vaginal hysterectomy, if they have a choice. There are several reasons to choose vaginal hysterectomy instead of other hysterectomy techniques. The most popular reasons mainly include:
- When you have a vaginal hysterectomy, it becomes easier for you to recover from post surgery whereas other hysterectomy options such as abdominal hysterectomies can be more difficult to recover from, even the incision is smaller than what you might expect. In addition, abdominal hysterectomies can be very painful to overcome in the first couple of days after surgery.
- Even though the procedure involved in vaginal hysterectomy might seem more traumatic during surgery, it is viable to go home 12 hours after surgery. Therefore, many women prefer vaginal hysterectomy over other options.
- The scars that are made during the vaginal hysterectomy can go unnoticed and it seems less invasive for you, if you like wearing bikinis in summer. If you are really concerned with scarring, an abdominal hysterectomy is likely to scare you because it results in scars.
Steps for preparing for your vaginal hysterectomy
Your surgeon can help you to take certain necessary steps to prepare for your surgery. The most recommended steps include:
- Quit your smoking habit. Smoking certainly increases your risk of getting wounds or chest infections and also slow downs your recovery time.
- If you are using oral contraceptives or any hormone replacement tablets, it would be better for you to stop taking such medications four weeks before surgery. If you are a sexually active and pre-menopausal woman, you should use other alternative methods of birth control to prevent pregnancy.
- Usually the operation is done under general anesthesia, which implies you will be asleep during your vaginal hysterectomy. Your doctor will suggest you don’t eat or drink for about 6 hours before giving general anesthesia.
These are a few necessary steps that you should follow in preparation of your operation. Try to know more about other important steps that you need to consider before and after vaginal hysterectomy and follow them to prevent further health complications.
