Hysterectomy is a surgery performed to remove a woman’s uterus. Generally it is recommended if other treatment through medications fail.

The most common reasons for having a hysterectomy include:

• Heavy periods  be caused by fibroids
• Pelvic pain  caused due to endometriosis
• Unsuccessfully treated pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), adenomyosis or fibroids
• Prolapse of the uterus
• Ovarian or cervical cancer
• Severe, uncontrollable uterine bleeding
• Any serious complications during childbirth, such as rupture of the uterus

The following condition usually can be treated without resorting to major surgery, however hysterectomy can be chosen as a justified option in some cases:

• Hyperplasia- Precancerous changes of the endometrium.
• Extensive endometriosis causing debilitating pelvic pain or affecting other organs.
• Large fibroid tumors that involve other organs, or cause heavy bleeding. Although in such cases myomectomy can also be chosen to avoid uterus removal.
• Anemia caused due to severe bleeding and unsuccessful through iron supplementation.

For patients having mildly abnormal uterine bleeding, fibroids without symptoms, and pelvic congestion such as menstrual irregularities and low back pain, alternative treatments are considered safe and unnecessary hysterectomies can be avoided.

Doctors also analyze the uterine conditions through, diagnostic and therapeutic techniques such as sonography, Pap tests, hysteroscopy, endometrial ablation, and laparoscopy before considering whether the patient needs to undergo hysterectomy or consider milder techniques before resorting to major surgeries.