Your doctor may recommend a hysterectomy — removal of the uterus — if you have cervical or uterine cancer. It’s also a common treatment for chronic pelvic pain, uterine fibroids, and endometriosis.

If your doctor recommends a hysterectomy, you probably have many questions, like what’s the difference between a full or partial hysterectomy? Is one better than the other? And what happens after you have a hysterectomy?

Here’s what you need to know about getting a hysterectomy.

What Is a Hysterectomy?

A hysterectomy is surgery to remove your uterus. The uterus, or womb, is the organ where a baby grows.

Hysterectomy is one of the most common surgeries in the U.S. Doctors perform hundreds of thousands of these operations every year.

You may have a full or partial hysterectomy. With a full hysterectomy, doctors remove your uterus and cervix (the lower part of the uterus). With a partial hysterectomy, doctors remove only the uterus.

Sometimes, doctors also remove surrounding tissue and organs like the ovaries, especially if there's cancer or a risk of cancer.

Why Would I Need a Hysterectomy?

Your doctor may recommend a hysterectomy if you have a condition that hasn’t responded to other treatments. Because you can't get pregnant after a hysterectomy, your plan to have children is an important consideration.

A hysterectomy might be the best option if you have:

  • Cancer of the uterus, cervix, or ovaries.
  • Endometriosis.
  • Heavy, abnormal bleeding.
  • Severe or long-term pelvic pain.
  • Uterine fibroids.
  • Uterine prolapse (meaning the uterus drops from its normal position and presses into the vagina).

Your doctor will talk to you about the decision to have a hysterectomy. A hysterectomy can improve your quality of life. But it's major surgery, and it's not reversible.

Things your doctor will consider:

  • How much your symptoms affect your overall quality of life.
  • The reason for the hysterectomy (for instance, if you have cancer, it’s more urgent than other conditions).
  • The severity of your symptoms and how long you’ve been having them.
  • Whether you’ve been through menopause.
  • Your age.
  • Your personal preferences.
  • Your plans for having children.
  • Whether you’ve tried other treatments.

Partial vs. Full Hysterectomy

There are several types of hysterectomy. Which hysterectomy you have depends on why you need the procedure. It also depends on how much of your uterus and surrounding tissues doctors can safely leave in place.

Your doctor may recommend a partial, full, or radical procedure. One is not necessarily better than the others. The best treatment for you depends on your specific condition.

Partial hysterectomy

Partial hysterectomy (or supracervical hysterectomy) is when doctors remove the upper part of the uterus but not the cervix. They may perform this surgery for uterine prolapse, endometriosis, fibroids, pelvic pain, or abnormal bleeding.

After a partial hysterectomy, you may still have some spotting every month, although you won’t have full periods. You'll still need regular Pap tests because you can still get cervical cancer. You can't get pregnant after a partial hysterectomy.

Total hysterectomy

With a total (full) hysterectomy, doctors remove the uterus and cervix. This is the most common type of hysterectomy. Doctors often recommend a total hysterectomy to remove or prevent the spread of cancer.

After a total hysterectomy, you'll no longer have periods or get pregnant.

Radical hysterectomy

With a radical hysterectomy, doctors remove the uterus, cervix, and some surrounding organs like the fallopian tubes and ovaries. They typically perform this surgery if you have a cancer diagnosis or you’re at a high risk of ovarian or breast cancer.

If you have your ovaries removed, you'll go into menopause. Your doctor may recommend hormone therapy to help ease the symptoms of menopause and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

How Do Doctors Perform Hysterectomies?

Doctors used to perform hysterectomies with open surgery, meaning a large cut in the abdomen. Nowadays, doctors perform most hysterectomies with minimally invasive surgery.

The surgical method your doctor uses will depend on the reason for the hysterectomy and how many organs they're removing.

Hysterectomy surgery methods include:

  • Minimally invasive hysterectomy — Doctors make small incisions and use tiny cameras to guide the procedure. Minimally invasive surgery typically means less downtime, fewer complications, and a faster recovery than traditional surgery.
  • Traditional or open hysterectomy — Doctors make a large incision in the abdomen to remove the uterus.
  • Vaginal hysterectomy — Doctors remove the uterus through the vagina, without an abdominal incision.

Risks of Having a Hysterectomy

As with any surgery, a hysterectomy comes with some risks. They include:

  • Blood clots in the legs, which can travel to the lungs.
  • Fever.
  • Heavy bleeding.
  • Infection near the area where you had surgery.
  • Injury to another pelvic organ, such as the bladder or bowel, during surgery.
  • Problems from anesthesia, such as breathing or heart issues, vomiting, or allergic reactions.

Hysterectomy Recovery

Many people who have hysterectomies go home the same day. If you have any complications, you may stay in the hospital for a few days.

Your full recovery will take four to six weeks. During that time, you should:

  • Refrain from having vaginal sex or putting anything in your vagina for 12 weeks.
  • Resume normal activities slowly.
  • Take pain medication as prescribed.
  • Take time off work to rest and heal.
  • Use a heating pad for pain relief.