Hysterectomy: Exploring Your Options

This patient-oriented guide helps women of all ages understand their options and make informed decisions about their health care.

Hysterectomy is the second most common major surgical procedure performed on women in the United States. For some women, the decision to have a hysterectomy is an easy one; for others, it is a difficult choice associated with concerns about risks, discomfort, and female identity. Yet many disorders of the uterus--fibroid tumors, uterine and cervical cancer, pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, adenomyosis, and uterine prolapse--may require surgical treatment.

In this thoroughly updated edition of Hysterectomy: Exploring Your Options, gynecologists Edward E. Wallach, Esther Eisenberg, Isabel Green, and Stacey A. Scheib describe and explain every aspect of the procedure, including:

- Symptoms of gynecological disorders that may require uterine fibroid removal or hysterectomy
- The full range of diagnostic and therapeutic imaging techniques, including MRI-focused ultrasound
- Thorough explanations of specific alternative measures that may be used to avoid the need for hysterectomy
- The various techniques for hysterectomy, including single-incision surgery and robotic hysterectomy
- How to prepare for surgery and what to expect while in the hospital
- Details on the surgery and postoperative recovery, including information about pain medications, when to resume daily activities, how sexual function may be affected, future reproductive possibilities, and the benefits and risks of hormone replacement therapy

Included in this compassionate, comprehensive guide to treatment and recovery for women having--or deciding whether to have--a hysterectomy are stories of women whose own experiences with hysterectomy offer useful advice for anyone considering the procedure.