Most women are happy with and do very well after their hysterectomy. That said, if you are worried about your long-term recovery, have questions, or are currently experiencing undesirable side effects, please do not hesitate to reach out to your treatment team. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Indeed, you might find that you feel happier due to the alleviation of your symptoms experienced prior to surgery, such as pain and discomfort with intercourse. If you do find yourself feeling low or depressed you are certainly not alone.
Younger Women More Likely to Become Depressed After Hysterectomy. The investigated women showed an absolute risk increase of 6.6 percent for depression and 4.7 percent for anxiety. For women who had hysterectomies between ages 18 and 35, the risk of depression was higher, with absolute risk increase of 12 percent.
Since the uterus is a very important part of the body, its removal has physical and emotional consequences and it may lead to severe psychological reactions in women [3–5]. A psychological complication of hysterectomy includes depression [6], Anxiety [7], and stress [8].
For example, in 1997, Thompson reported that there was a probability of psychoses in women after hysterectomies; and within the three years following the surgery, 33% of the women experienced symptoms of depression (12).
Hysterectomy can impair some types of memory in the short term following the surgery, according to a rat study published in the Endocrine Society's journal Endocrinology. One in three women in the United States undergo a hysterectomy, or the surgical removal of the uterus, by age 60.
It can take about 6 to 8 weeks to fully recover after having an abdominal hysterectomy. Recovery times are often shorter after a vaginal or laparoscopy hysterectomy. During this time, you should rest as much as possible and not lift anything heavy, such as bags of shopping.
In fact, for those who had a hysterectomy for bleeding, pain, and prolapse, there is often an improved quality of life and related sexual activity.
After a total hysterectomy, estrogen replacement therapy or ERT is often recommended due to the removal of the ovaries, which are responsible for making the hormone. ERT can help counteract the symptoms of surgical menopause when the body no longer produces it naturally.
Hysterectomy has a rare long-term risk of pelvic prolapse, which is the stretching or dropping of pelvic organs into an abnormal position. Women with many prior abdominal surgeries or a history of pelvic prolapse or pelvic relaxation may be at higher risk for developing pelvic prolapse again.
Risks include anaesthetic complications, blood transfusion, DVT, and injuries to other organs. Since hysterectomy is a major surgery, it's associated with the risks of any major operation, including those associated with general anaesthetic, blood transfusion, infection, wound healing, and deep venous thrombosis.
Your Hysterectomy Recovery
If you had not gone through menopause before your hysterectomy, you probably will begin having symptoms of menopause -- hot flashes and mood swings. Your body is adjusting to changes in hormone levels. You may also have some changes in sexual desire and enjoyment, and vaginal dryness.
A hysterectomy may save your life if: • you have cancer of the uterus or ovaries, or • your uterus is bleeding fast and it can't be stopped. In most other cases, a hysterectomy is done to improve a woman's life. But, it is not needed to save her life. This is called an elective hysterectomy.
For some women, changes in fertility can trigger feelings of emotional loss or depression. Counseling is available if you find yourself struggling emotionally after your hysterectomy. You may also experience low libido or reduced sexual sensation as a result of the physical and emotional changes of the procedure.
The hidden harms of hysterectomy
Personality changes are also a common complaint. There are additional risks of having the uterus removed. Hysterectomy can lead to bladder and bowel dysfunction, prolapse, and incontinence as well as a 4-fold increased risk of pelvic organ fistula surgery.
In Australia, hysterectomy rates have remained stable over the last two decades with 32 000 procedures annually, a rate of 255/100 000 women.
About half a million hysterectomies are performed each year in the U.S. It is the second most common surgical procedure for women, after cesarean delivery (C-section). Most hysterectomies are performed between the ages of 40 and 50.
Will I get facial hair or mood swings? Your voice, hair growth and mood aren't affected by your uterus or cervix. If you're perimenopausal or experiencing mood swings prior to your hysterectomy, you shouldn't expect much difference after the surgery.
When your ovaries are removed (oophorectomy) during a hysterectomy, your estrogen levels drop. Estrogen therapy (ET) replaces some or all of the estrogen that your ovaries would be making until menopause. Without estrogen, you are at risk for weak bones later in life, which can lead to osteoporosis.
After a hysterectomy, the sudden withdrawal of certain hormones can take a toll on a woman's physical, mental and emotional well-being. Symptoms that are most common include hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats, sleeplessness, light bleeding and discharge, and vaginal dryness.
This is to protect against the possibility of ovarian cancer developing. Some surgeons feel it's best to leave healthy ovaries in place if the risk of ovarian cancer is small – for example, if there's no family history of the condition.
One of the common treatment options for menopausal symptoms is hormone replacement therapy (HRT), supplementing your hormone levels to rebalance your system. However, you may prefer to move through menopause without using hormone treatments. And, women with previous hormone-dependent cancer shouldn't use HRT.