hysterectomy

hysterectomy /his′tərek″təmē/ [Gk, hystera, womb, ektomē, excision] , surgical removal of the uterus, performed to remove fibroid tumors of the uterus or to treat chronic pelvic inflammatory disease, severe recurrent endometrial hyperplasia, uterine hemorrhage, and precancerous and cancerous conditions of the uterus. Types of hysterectomy include total hysterectomy, in which the uterus and cervix are removed, and radical hysterectomy, in which ovaries, oviducts, lymph nodes, and lymph channels are removed with the uterus and cervix. Menstruation ceases after either type is performed. A vaginal irrigation may be given preoperatively. During surgery the uterus is excised and removed, either through the abdominal wall or through the vagina. In some cases it may be removed laparoscopically. One or both ovaries and oviducts may be removed at the same time. After surgery the nurse frequently observes the abdominal dressing and vaginal pad for bleeding. The lower half of the bed is kept flat, and the patient is advised to avoid sharply flexing the thighs or knees, because thrombophlebitis of the blood vessels of the pelvis and upper thigh is a frequent complication. Leg exercises, as well as use of sequential compression devices to prevent deep vein thrombosis, are encouraged. Low back pain or scanty urine may indicate a ligated ureter. Compare hysterosalpingo-oophorectomy. Kinds include cesarean hysterectomy.hysterectomize, v.

Types of hysterectomy: Type I—simple hysterectomy; Type II—modified radical hysterectomy; Type III—radical hysterectomy (Rothrock, 2015)