A hysterectomy is a common surgical procedure that is used to remove the uterus. It may be recommended to treat cancer or uterine conditions that do not respond to other types of treatment. Once a hysterectomy is performed, a woman can no longer become pregnant.
A hysterectomy may be advised as a treatment for endometrial (uterine) cancer, pre-cervical cancer, cervical cancer, or ovarian cancer. It may also be used to treat uterine fibroids, uterine prolapse, endometriosis, and severe chronic bleeding that does not respond to other types of treatments.
The uterus may be partially or completely removed. A partial or supracervical hysterectomy removes just the upper part of the uterus and leaves the cervix in place. A total hysterectomy removes the entire uterus and the cervix. A radical hysterectomy removes the uterus, cervix, parametrium (the tissue on the side of the cervix), and the upper vagina. During a hysterectomy, the fallopian tubes and ovaries may be removed as well.
Hysterectomy is non-reversible, meaning that once the reproductive organs are removed, they cannot be replaced. Women that have a hysterectomy will not be able to become pregnant or give birth to babies. Following hysterectomy, your sexual function should remain about the same as it was before your surgery.