- Physical Examination
- Surgical Examination
- Ophthalmology
- Clinical Skills
- Orthopedics
- Surgery Videos
- Laparoscopy
- Pediatrics
- Funny Videos
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Nursing Videos
- Plastic Surgery
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Histology and Histopathology
- Neurosurgery
- Dermatology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Urology
- Dentistry
- Oncology and Cancers
- Anatomy Videos
- Health and Fitness
- Radiology
- Anaesthesia
- Physical Therapy
- Pharmacology
- Interventional Radiology
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Gynecology
- Emergency Medicine
- Psychiatry and Psychology
- Childbirth Videos
- General Medical Videos
- Nephrology
- Physiology
- Diet and Food Health
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Neurology
- Women Health
- Osteoporosis
- Gastroenterology
- Pulmonology
- Hematology
- Rheumatology
- Toxicology
- Nuclear Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Vascular Disease
- Reproductive Health
- Burns and Wound Healing
- Kidney Zone Podcast
- Other
Hysterectomy (abdominal / vaginal / laparoscopic)
Category: Women's Health & Childbirth · All women's health & childbirth
What it is
A hysterectomy is an operation to remove the womb. It may be done through the abdomen (open or keyhole) or through the vagina, and may include removing the cervix, and sometimes the ovaries and fallopian tubes, depending on the reason and your discussions.
Why it is done
It is used for heavy bleeding not controlled by other treatments, fibroids, prolapse (vaginal route), endometriosis or adenomyosis, some precancerous changes and gynaecological cancers.
How to prepare
Planning includes blood tests, scans and discussion of exactly what will be removed and the effect on hormones if ovaries are removed before the menopause. You fast before surgery and have anaesthetic assessment. Blood-thinning medicines are reviewed.
What happens during the procedure
Under general (sometimes spinal) anaesthetic, the womb is removed by the chosen route and the top of the vagina is closed. Surgery takes one to two hours typically. After total hysterectomy there are no periods and pregnancy is not possible.
Afterwards — recovery & results
Hospital stay ranges from same day/one night (keyhole or vaginal) to a few days (open abdominal). Full recovery is about six weeks, longer for open surgery, with lifting restrictions early. If ovaries were removed before menopause, hormonal effects and HRT are discussed.
Risks & considerations
Risks include bleeding (occasionally needing transfusion), infection, blood clots, injury to bladder, bowel or ureters, and anaesthetic risks. Ovary removal before menopause brings early menopause considerations. Your surgeon will discuss your route-specific risks.
Watch: Hysterectomy (abdominal / vaginal / laparoscopic) videos
Real procedure videos from the MedicalVideos.com library. Some clinical footage is graphic — that is the nature of a medical video library.
Related guides on MedicalVideos.com
Frequently asked questions
Will I go through the menopause?
Only if the ovaries are removed (or stop working) — removing the womb alone ends periods but hormones continue until natural menopause if ovaries are kept.
Why different routes?
Vaginal and keyhole routes usually mean smaller wounds and quicker recovery; open abdominal surgery suits very large wombs or complex disease. Your surgeon recommends based on your anatomy and condition.
Related procedures — Women's Health & Childbirth
Browse the H section of the A–Z list or return to the Procedures & Tests hub.