Is hysterectomy risky?

The risks of hysterectomy surgery are usually controllable, but need to be evaluated based on the individual patient's circumstances. Surgical risks are mainly related to factors such as anesthesia reaction, intraoperative bleeding, postoperative infection, damage to adjacent organs, and postoperative complications.

Hysterectomy is a common gynecological surgery, and in most cases, it is relatively safe if performed in a standardized manner. Surgical risks are closely related to patient age, underlying diseases, and surgical methods. When young healthy patients undergo laparoscopic or vaginal hysterectomy, the intraoperative blood loss is usually controlled at 200-400 ml, the probability of postoperative infection is low, and the hospitalization time is about 3-5 days. Patients with chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes need to have stable control indicators before surgery. The risk of anesthesia during surgery is relatively increased, and the postoperative observation time may need to be extended to 5-7 days. Injuries to adjacent organs such as the ureter and bladder that may occur during surgery are extremely rare under the operation of an experienced surgeon.

Risks may increase under special circumstances. In patients with severe pelvic adhesion, intraoperative separation is difficult, the amount of bleeding may exceed 500 ml, and the probability of requiring blood transfusion is increased. Patients with malignant tumors such as endometrial cancer need to expand the scope of surgery. The risk of postoperative deep vein thrombosis increases and require preventive anticoagulation therapy. Severely obese patients have an increased chance of conversion from laparoscopic surgery to laparotomy, and the risk of poor incision healing reaches 10-15%. Menopausal patients may face accelerated ovarian function decline after surgery and require hormone replacement therapy. Long-term follow-up after surgery found that about 20-30% of patients may develop pelvic floor dysfunction and require rehabilitation training.

It is recommended that imaging examinations such as ultrasound and MRI be completed before surgery to evaluate the condition of the uterus and perform cardiopulmonary function testing. It is necessary to keep the perineum clean after surgery and avoid heavy physical labor and sexual life for 6 weeks. If symptoms such as fever, abnormal vaginal bleeding, or difficulty urinating occur, you should seek follow-up consultation in time. Choosing auxiliary measures such as biological mesh pelvic floor reconstruction based on individual conditions can reduce the risk of long-term complications.