Abdominal Hysterectomy to Treat Gynecological Problems

An Abdominal hysterectomy is often preferable to the alternative vaginal hysterectomy. The advantage to the abdominal surgery is that the procedure allows the physician to see the condition of all the female organs and surrounding tissues. Not only that, but the surgeon can readily access the areas of concern because he or she has more room to navigate the area.

On the other hand, an abdominal hysterectomy can have more complications and in addition result in a longer recovery time than the vaginal procedure. The patient and physician will have to weigh the benefits and risks associated with the surgery before proceeding. An abdominal hysterectomy can be done to resolve a host of gynecological problems from fibroids to cancer. In cases where cancer is present it may be necessary to go through the abdomen to make sure that all the cancer is removed.

There are two primary types of incisions in an abdominal surgery. They include a vertical incision and a horizontal incision. The vertical incision runs from bellow the belly button straight down to just above the pubic bone. The horizontal incision (Pfannenstiel incision) runs across the abdomen an inch or so above the pubic bone. Sometimes the Pfannenstiel incision is called a bikini-line incision. While the advantages to an abdominal hysterectomy can be significant in some cases the disadvantages can also be important. There will be scarring across the abdomen.

In addition, recovery is both more painful and of longer duration. The length of a hospital stay is also increased which means the procedure can be more expensive that it’s vaginal counter-point. Further, there may be a higher risk of infection to the incision than the minimal incision seen in vaginal hysterectomies. Careful consideration of all the factors involved in an abdominal hysterectomy will allow a woman to be better prepared for the procedure and the recovery time afterwards.

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