Hysterectomies Have Come A Long Way Since Their Bloody Origin

If you're concerned about your upcoming hysterectomy or think that it is a brutal and unnecessary procedure, be assured that it can save the lives of women suffering from severe uterus problems. And the procedure has only gotten safer and more effective over the years. The following information can help you understand the deadly past, the stable present, and the promising future of hysterectomies. Hopefully, it'll help you calm down and see them in a more positive light.

The First Hysterectomy Procedures Were Scary and Dangerous

The early days of hysterectomy surgery were definitely bloody and dangerous: the first known accounts of hysterectomy were by Soranus of Ephesus, who lived over a century after Christ. These procedures were done without anesthesia and were usually fatal.

The first known modern abdominal hysterectomy was performed in 1843 by a doctor named Clay Charles. Charles are apparently pretty bad at his job because his diagnosis was wrong and the patient died on the table. Clay tried again the next year, but still had no luck keeping his patient alive.

It wasn't until 1853 that a doctor actually successfully performed the (wrongly diagnosed) procedure and kept his patient alive. Even in modern times, this procedure was problematic: up to 70% of all patients died during the procedure, due to pain, infections, and other complications. It wasn't until the late 30's that hysterectomies could be performed with any real measure of safety.

The Present State of Hysterectomy Procedures is Much Safer

The modern state of hysterectomy surgery has advanced far beyond those early crude efforts: the death rate has fallen to as low as one in every 1,000 women. Part of that has to do with newer and more effective pain killers and infection fighters, but it also has to do with the more effective procedures being practiced.

Some of the most common hysterectomy procedures include:

• Total abdominal hysterectomy: removes the uterus and cervix through a cut on the abdomen
• Vaginal hysterectomy: the uterus is removed through the vagina, if the vagina is wide enough
• Laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy: uses a small viewing tube to assist in removing the uterus through the vagina
• Supracervical hysterectomy: removes only the uterus, leaving the cervix intact

The procedure utilized depends on your personal health needs and abilities. For example, if your cervix is healthy while your uterus is in danger, a supracervical hysterectomy will leave it safe. However, more serious problems (such as cancer) may force a total abdominal hysterectomy.

Robotic Hysterectomy Procedures are the Future

One of the most promising of all hysterectomy procedures is robotic hysterectomy. This procedure uses a robotic assistant to help the doctor remove the uterus and it offers a wide range of benefits over non-robotic hysterectomy surgeries. These benefits include:

• Decreased level of pain
• Shorter stay in the hospital
• Lower level of blood loss
• Smaller incisions
• Faster recovery times
• Decreased risk of infection

Advances like this point the way towards a promising world of hysterectomy surgical advances. Every day, the procedure gets safer and safer. Thankfully, you should be able to find a robotic hysterectomy surgical expert (sometimes referred to as da Vinci hysterectomy) near you with just a little bit of snooping.