This video is from the WebMD
Video Archive

You are in the WebMD Content Archive for WebMD Video.

WebMD archives all video content after 48 months to ensure our readers can easily find the most timely content.

To locate the most current information on this topic, please use our search box

Narrator:

During a hysterectomy, your surgeon will remove your uterus. The uterus is a muscular organ in your pelvis that holds a baby during pregnancy. The uterine lining, or endometrium, is what sheds each month during your menstrual cycle when you are not pregnant. Your doctor may recommend a hysterectomy if you have abnormal bleeding, chronic pelvic pain, cancer, or other conditions of the uterus not responding to treatment. The uterus can be removed in an abdominal, vaginal, or laparoscopic hysterectomy. In an abdominal hysterectomy, called a Total hysterectomy, your surgeon will make an incision in your pubic area and remove both the uterus and cervix. During a vaginal hysterectomy, your surgeon will make an incision inside your vagina or use a laparoscope to remove the uterus through the vagina. In a laparoscopic hysterectomy, your surgeon will make several small cuts in your abdomen and insert a thin, lighted camera to view your uterus on a video screen. Special surgical tools will divide your uterus into pieces and remove them through the incisions. After a hysterectomy, you will not be able to become pregnant, but you will still need to have regular pelvic exams and mammograms to monitor your health.