Uterine Fibroids and Hysterectomy - Surgery

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Patients who have had abdominal hysterectomies should discuss with their doctors when exercise programs more intense than walking can be started. The abdominal muscles are important for supporting the upper body, and recovering strength may take a long time. Even after the wound has healed, the patient may have an on-going feeling of overall weakness, for some time. Some women do not feel completely well for as long as a year while others may recover in only a few weeks.

If a woman has had her cervix removed, she no longer needs annual Pap smears. However, women who have had any type of hysterectomy should continue to receive routine pelvic and breast exams, and mammograms.

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Menopausal Symptoms and Premature Menopause after Hysterectomy

After hysterectomy, women may have hot flashes, a symptom of menopause, even if they retain their ovaries. However, women who have a hysterectomy are less likely to have hot flashes than women who have a natural menopause. Surgery may have temporarily blocked blood flow to the ovaries, therefore suppressing estrogen release. If both ovaries have been removed in premenopausal women, the procedure causes premature menopause. Other menopausal symptoms include vaginal dryness and irritation, insomnia, and weight gain.

In premenopausal women who have had their ovaries retained, the ovaries will usually continue to function and secrete hormones even after the uterus is removed, but the lifespan of the ovaries is reduced by an average of 3 - 5 years. In rare cases, complete ovarian failure occurs right after hysterectomy, presumably because the surgery has permanently cut off the ovaries' blood supply.

The most important complications occur in women who have had their ovaries removed. This causes estrogen loss, which places women at risk for osteoporosis (loss of bone density) and a possible increase in risks for heart disease and stroke. A number of drugs are available that can help protect both bones and heart. [For more information, see In-Depth Reports #40: Menopause and #18: Osteoporosis.]