vaginal hysterectomy

[halfpint1967]

hi all
because of problems with polyps&heavier bleeding with clots the gyny has given me the option of having one of these
just wondering if anyone whos had this for whatever reason can tell me their experiences&if when meno really does rear its ugly head if having it done reduces any of the symptoms?they will leave ovaries behind
im48&have been told twice that im not meno or peri meno yet
tia

[pinkfrocks]

Having your womb removed will not make any difference at all to menopause symptoms; all that will happen is you won't have periods. You might also go into menopause sooner - they say 2-3 years sooner- after the operation, so at 48 it is likely to happen quite soon if you have the hysterectomy.

[halfpint1967]

thanks Pinkfrocks
im seeing gyny again on25th August to discuss my options
theyve mentioned endometrial ablation too but heard it doesnt always work or only lasts so long before the heavy periods come bk!
also the Mirena was offered but i declined that straight away as heard too many horror stories about it!
as ive done my bit for the population i said id have a hyst done.just whip it out!!

[Limer]

I had a vaginal hysterectomy when I was 44 due to anaemia and almost constant bleeding. TBH I jumped at the chance when it was offered, had the operation a couple of weeks later, and have never looked back. No pain, and stitches were internal. I haven't yet gone into menopause (I'm now 50). I can't recommend it highly enough.

[halfpint1967]

oh right Limer thanks.thats interesting to know!
so u had no pain at all or?
how long did it take u to recover etc?
were the stitches dissolvable or had to have them taken out?
i have a nearly7yr old daughter to take care of though my partner her dad is very good&will do everything if i cant

[Limer]

I stayed in hospital for 3 days, was a bit rough from the anaesthetic but genuinely no pain at all. I was back to normal once I was home apart from some slight bleeding from the internal incision. Stitches were dissolvable. I was told to make an appointment with the GP if I wanted to be checked over afterwards, but I didn't feel it necessary.

The freedom from all that bleeding is amazing, and not being anaemic is pretty wonderful too!

[halfpint1967]

what about lifting etc?how long did u have to be off work etc?
reading up on it it says2-4wks for a vaginal hyst recovery.longer for abdominal

[pinkfrocks]

It seems a bit short sighted to go straight for major surgery without trying other things first. Ablation might work, the Mirena might work. I know women who are delighted with the Mirena. I'd rather try both before submitting to major surgery with the risks of a GA and other things that might go wrong.

[pinkfrocks]

p.s- hysterectomy for heavy bleeding is actually considered very old fashioned now because other treatments are just as successful and are usually offered first.

[slkk]

I had ablation about 5 months ago - after a few months of constant, though very light, bleeding the bleeding stopped completely. Unfortunately they found some nasty stuff while they were in there quite by chance so I ended up having g a hysterectomy last week. They took uterus, cervix and fallopian tubes out through belly button. I'm pretty sore but can move around ok. Don't think I'll be doing any lifting for a while.

[ClaimedByMe]

My mum had a vaginal hysterectomy sadly it didnt work and just a few hours later she was rushed back into theatre due to internal bleeding and had to be cut open as an emergency.

Once she had recovered she said it was the best thing she ever had done, her menopause came at a normalish time and the gp seemed to think she coped well with it.

[pinkfrocks]

sorry to hear that- but did it take 5 months from taking samples to removing cancer? that seems far too long.

[slkk]

Surgery was delayed a few times due to other issues. Luckily it was pre-cancer so not a problem. Was just lucky they found it completely by chance!

[halfpint1967]

sorry to hear that silkk.hope youre recovering well now.
claimedbyme hope yr mum is better now&feeling ok.how old was she when she had it done?
Pinkfrocks ive never liked the idea of having the Mirena&hearing the horror stories plus reading up on it statistics etc it put me off even more!!
ablation might be ok but i need to reaearch it more first&spk to gyny properly as was only mentioned in passing really!
as i said i just said im not gonna have anymore kids so would seriously have the hyst!have had ga for different ops several times now&never had any probs with it so far

[paxtecum]

I know two woman who had vaginal hysterectomies.
One of them had a bladder prolapse a few weeks later and now, a few years later everything has collapsed and she is had yet another op.

Another has had all her vagina collapse and will never have intercourse again.

I would rather be cut open.

[halfpint1967]

at least they caught it&they treated it very swiftly silkk!
im waiting for the reaults of3uterine biopsies they did under hysteroscopy a fortnight ago
have had the cervical smear test results which are normal thankfully!

[ClaimedByMe]

My mum was 35/36 and bleeding all the time, which i have inherited, the gp actually advised her to have it done a few years earlier but she thought she was too young. She recovered really well it was 20 years ago now :)

[halfpint1967]

that sounds horrendous paxetcum!!
i have read that bladder prolapse can sometimes happen but abdominal hyst is a really big op with a very long recovery time!!
i might well ask about the laproscopic one too&read up on it
they found the vaginal route whilst doing the hysteroscopy

[slkk]

Good luck with results. The ablation I had was called a novasure and I think it would have been pretty good if I hadn't had the other issues. The hysterectomy was robot assisted and this apparently leads to less trauma and quicker healing. Not removed through vagina so not at risk of collapse there. I have 4 smallish incisions in my tummy. I would think it was definitely worth looking into. Preserved ovaries so hopefully normal menopause.

[halfpint1967]

wow good for her claimedbyme!!
im not bleeding all the time but have been getting bleeding in between periods&heavier for me periods with clots which ive never had!
i had to have a polypectomy under hysteroscopy this time last yr

[pinkfrocks]

halfpint- the thing is, people only post about stuff when it goes wrong. I am sure there are thousands of women who are totally thrilled with their Mirena- I know 2 and that's just my tiny circle of friends. It's not worth taking notice of what other people say- you might be fine and if not it can be whipped out after a few weeks.

[halfpint1967]

thanks silkk
is the robotic the same as the laprascopic?
will have to read up on it properly before i see gyny again&then talk to her properly about it.

[pinkfrocks]

Pax- the risk of prolapse after a hysterectomy is the same no matter which way it's done. The reason for this is the uterus gives support to all the tissues around it- so when it's not there, it's possible for the walls and other organs to collapse. This is well known to drs and called vaginal vault prolapse.

[halfpint1967]

pinkfrocks i know what youre saying but i really dont want the Mirena

[slkk]

Yes it was robot assisted laparoscopic total hysterectomy. I think. Consultant assured me he was in the room with me. I had images of 'humans' type robots or metal ones with pinnies :)

[pinkfrocks]

It's your choice! No way I'd submit to a major op without trying something so simple and reversible first.