hysterectomy
Meaning of hysterectomy: Removing the uterus ends the possibility of pregnancy, but on its own it does not bring on menopause.
Definition of hysterectomy
A hysterectomy is surgery to remove the uterus, the organ in which a pregnancy develops. Depending on the reason for the operation, the cervix, the fallopian tubes or the ovaries may be taken out during the same procedure. It can be performed through a cut in the abdomen, through the vagina, or through several small keyhole incisions using a camera.
How hysterectomy is built
- hyster/o Combining form · Greek uterus
- -ectomy Suffix · Greek surgical removal, excision
A medical term is read from its ending backwards: the suffix first, then the prefix, then the root. See all 223 word parts.
What exactly is removed?
| Type | What comes out | What stays |
|---|---|---|
| Total | Uterus and cervix | Ovaries and tubes, unless removed separately |
| Partial or subtotal | Uterus only | Cervix, ovaries and tubes |
| Radical | Uterus, cervix, surrounding tissue and upper vagina | Ovaries, in many cases |
The names cause a lot of confusion. Total does not mean everything; it means the cervix went with the uterus. Removal of the ovaries is a separate operation with its own name, oophorectomy, and it may or may not be done at the same sitting. A radical hysterectomy is reserved for cancer, because it takes the supporting tissue on either side of the cervix as well, while a partial hysterectomy leaves the cervix in place.
Why is it performed?
Most operations are done for conditions that are not cancer. Fibroids, benign muscular growths in the wall of the uterus, are the single most common reason. Heavy or unpredictable bleeding that has not settled with other measures is another, as is endometriosis, in which tissue resembling the uterine lining grows outside the uterus and causes pain. Prolapse, where the uterus descends into the vagina, and cancers of the uterus, cervix or ovary make up much of the remainder.
What changes afterward?
Menstrual periods stop permanently and pregnancy is no longer possible. Menopause itself is a separate matter: the ovaries make the hormones, so if they are left in place they carry on working and menopause arrives at its own pace. If both ovaries are removed, hormone levels drop abruptly and menopausal symptoms begin soon after, regardless of age. Whether the cervix was kept also matters later, since a retained cervix can still develop cervical cancer and remains part of routine screening.
Used in a sentence
The patient underwent a total hysterectomy for treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids.
Good to know
Total and partial hysterectomy differ only in whether the cervix is also removed, a distinction that determines whether cervical screening continues afterward; menopause follows only when both ovaries are taken as well.
Word origin
Where “hysterectomy” comes from
Formed from hystera, Greek for uterus, and -ectomy, from ektome, meaning a cutting out.