A hysterectomy, which is the surgical removal of a patient’s uterus, is one of the most common surgeries performed on women, with about 600,000 hysterectomy procedures performed in the United States each year, according to Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Hysterectomies are performed to combat cancer, remove fibroid tumors, and alleviate severe endometriosis, among other reasons. While the removal of an internal organ is always considered a “major” surgery, the type of hysterectomy procedure performed can have a substantial impact on hospital stay, recovery time, and of course on both the degree of risk involved and the types of complications that may be most likely during and after the operation.
Patients have a right to expect not only competent performance of hysterectomy procedures, but thoughtful communication about their treatment options, including information about any non-surgical treatments available and the risks and potential benefits of the various methods for performing a hysterectomy that may apply in each situation. If you have suffered adverse effects due to a botched hysterectomy procedure – or if you have been denied your rights as a patient due to inadequate information – talking with a patient rights lawyer at Erin Marshall Law may help you to evaluate your current options for pursuing legal remedy. Those options can vary significantly, depending on the situation, so reach out to our Albuquerque office today by calling 505-218-9949 to set up a consultation.
Common Reasons for Having a Hysterectomy
The specific reasons for hysterectomy in an individual patient can vary significantly. Some of the most common reasons why a doctor may recommend hysterectomy include:
- Uterine cancer: Solid (tumor-based) cancers are commonly treated by removal of the cancerous tissue. In uterine cancer, removal of the entire organ may be recommended in order to reduce the chance of cancer recurrence (coming back), especially in patients who either do not wish to have children (or more children) or are past their childbearing years. Hysterectomy may also be performed as part of the treatment for cervical cancer (removing both womb and cervix) and in some instances a hysterectomy may be recommended as a precautionary measure when an oophorectomy (removal of one or both ovaries) is conducted for treatment of ovarian cancer.
- Uterine fibroids: Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that can still in some instances cause significant symptoms that impact a patient’s quality of life. Surgical options for treating fibroids include both myomectomy (surgery to excise the tumors, but leave the uterus) and hysterectomy.
- Endometriosis: In endometriosis, tissue analogous to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus. Depending on the severity of the case, this “inside-out” tissue can grow along the outer wall of the uterus, or may extend its range to “colonize” the abdominal cavity. Endometriosis is often associated with severe, chronic pelvic and abdominal pain, as the World Health Organization (WHO) explains.
- Severe dysmenorrhea: Dysmenorrhea is the medical term for abnormally painful periods, often accompanied by unusually heavy bleeding. Surgical removal of the uterus is not usually considered for this condition until other methods have been proven ineffective.
These are only a few of the reasons why a doctor may recommend a hysterectomy for a particular patient. The underlying condition the hysterectomy is intended to address, as well as the type of hysterectomy procedure performed, can affect both recovery time and the potential for complications from hysterectomy.
Hysterectomy Procedures and Patients’ Rights
Tragically, in the United States there has been a history of doctors performing hysterectomies in contexts where they are not medically indicated, or in which patients are not given the opportunity to evaluate all their options and give informed consent. Historically, minority women have been especially vulnerable. Fortunately, in recent years these unwarranted or inadequately communicated hysterectomies have become more rare – but even today, haunting personal narratives of hysterectomies performed on women without their consent and even without their knowledge continue to emerge, as The Marshall Project suggests. A women’s health attorney at Erin Marshall Law may be able to explain your legal rights as a patient.
Types of Surgical Procedures Used in Hysterectomies
Any surgical operation that removes the uterus from a patient’s abdominal cavity is a hysterectomy procedure, but surgeons have a few methods to choose from in carrying out this removal. Factors that can affect which method is chosen in a particular case include the patient’s general condition going into the surgery, the reason(s) why the hysterectomy is being performed, and even when and how the surgeon was trained. Some of the methods most commonly used in the United States include:
Abdominal Hysterectomy
Technically speaking, a number of hysterectomy procedures involve abdominal incisions. However, the surgery is usually called an abdominal hysterectomy only if the uterus is actually removed through a single incision, which may be made horizontally, low in the pelvic region, or a vertical incision closer to the navel area. This type of hysterectomy procedure is sometimes called an “open” hysterectomy, according to John Hopkins Medicine – helping to distinguish it from other methods that also involve abdominal incisions.
Laparoscopic Abdominal Hysterectomy
Sometimes two or more small incisions are made in the patient’s abdomen to allow for the insertion of surgical tools, along with a light and camera. The surgeon carrying out the operation then uses the camera view to perform the surgery, and the uterus is removed through one of the incisions. As the Cleveland Clinic explains, this type of surgery may sometimes be performed using robotic assistance, and the uterus may sometimes be cut into smaller pieces prior to removal in order to limit the size of incisions needed.
Laparoscopic Vaginal Hysterectomy
Often it is possible to limit the size of incisions even further by removing the uterus through the vaginal canal. The small abdominal incisions are made by laparoscopy, much as they would be in a laparoscopic abdominal hysterectomy, and again the surgery may or may not be robotically assisted. Rather than removing the uterus through one of the incisions, however, the surgeon draws it out through the vagina. Depending on whether the hysterectomy is total (with removal of the cervix) or partial (leaving the cervix), the surgeon will then suture together either the cervix or the upper end of the vagina in order to prevent leaving an opening into the abdominal cavity.
Considerations for Different Types of Hysterectomy
As with most surgical procedures, the general rule is to prefer the least invasive method that is likely to be safe and effective. Numerous factors can influence which method that may be in a particular situation, but patients have a right to expect that they will be informed of their options and of the risks and potential benefits of each of the hysterectomy procedures being considered in their case.
Speak With a New Mexico Women’s Health Attorney
Hysterectomies are performed on women across the United States every day. In most cases, the patients go on to recover from the operation and enjoy their lives. In some instances, however, a number of factors – including inadequate doctor-patient communication, complications from mistakes during surgery, and in the worst cases even forced hysterectomy procedures – can lead to heartbreaking outcomes that negatively impact patients and their families. Learn more about your rights as a patient by calling Erin Marshall Law at 505-218-9949 to schedule an appointment at our office in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
