Hysterectomy Side Effects

Hysterectomies have become a common operation in the United States and many Americans have begun to think of them as routine, but hysterectomy side effects can be complicated and far from routine.

Not even taking into consideration all the hysterectomy procedures performed in other countries, the numbers are astonishing. In the United States each year about six hundred thousand hysterectomies are performed. Hysterectomies are the second most commonly carried out surgical procedure in the country.

Simple side effects, such as vaginal dryness can be easily remedied with an over the counter lubricant or prescribed estrogen crème. However to keep the risk of infection down do not use petroleum jelly as lubricant because this may cause infection or irritation.

The most serious of the side effects come about as a result of the invasive nature of the surgery. The procedure involves the surgical removal of the uterus.

Urinary tract infections can be a side effect and so can wound infections, which are estimated to occur in one out of four women after the operation. Many women (estimates range from fifteen to eighteen percent) having gynecologic surgery develop blood clots in the legs resulting from the surgery and a lack of activity, following the surgery. This is know as deep vein thrombosis and is one of the scarier hysterectomy side effects.

When deep vein thrombosis occurs, there is always a chance that the clot can move to the lungs or heart, creating life-threatening complications.

Many women experience bowel problems as a result of surgical damage. This is another one of the scary side effects of these types of surgery because it can lead to series infection. Surgical damage can also occur in the bladder and urinary tract and to the nerves leading to the vagina.

Long term hysterectomy side effects include infertility and no menstrual periods.