Improving Quality of Life
Through a Hysterectomy
When a pap smear revealed that Jeannine Reilly had stage five pre-cancer cells, she first wondered if it would jeopardize her future plans to raise a family.
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Jeannine Reilly, 36, is looking forward
to starting a new chapter in her life with
daughter Emma following Jeannine’s
recent hysterectomy. |
Fortunately, the abnormal cells were discovered early enough so her doctor, Madonna L. Talbert, MD, from OB-GYN of Lancaster, could remove the abnormal cells without a hysterectomy.
“That bought me some time,” says Jeannine. “I knew that at some point, I would need a hysterectomy. But I was still given a chance to have a child.”
A year later Jeannine was pregnant, but she experienced complications 20 weeks into the pregnancy. At 24 weeks her daughter, Emma, was born weighing only 1 lb. 7ozs.
Emma spent 107 days in the Women & Babies Hospital NICU, followed by a year on oxygen and treatment for other health issues. Jeannine’s attention was focused first and foremost
on her daughter.
“To have a hysterectomy at this point would have been difficult,” Jeannine says. “I wanted to wait until Emma was older.”
It meant living with some “horrible problems,” Jeannine says. But working with Dr. Talbert and having checkups every three months, she was able to make sure the pre-cancer cells hadn’t returned.
Finally in January, with Emma 31/2 and as active as most children her age, Jeannine, was ready for a hysterectomy.
Two days after the procedure she was home for the 4-6 weeks of recovery… and ready to start a new chapter in her life, free from the discomfort she lived with for years.
Improved Quality of Life
One third of all women in the U.S. undergo a hysterectomy by age 60. It’s the second most common surgery among U.S. women.
Sharon S. Conslato, MD, of Lancaster Physicians for Women, Ltd., says that in addition to prevention or treatment of cancer, hysterectomy is also used to treat:
- Fibroids, or leiomyoma, benign muscle growths in the
uterus that can cause persistent discomfort.
- Endometriosis, cells growing outside the uterus that
can cause chronic pelvic pain and bleeding.
- Uterine Prolapse, where the uterus drops out of its position,
causing pressure and pain on the abdomen or vagina.
- Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding (DUB), which persists
for longer than normal periods of time and causes discomfort.
“These are things that, even when not life-threatening, can be disruptive to a woman’s life,” Dr. Conslato says.
“If a woman has tried other treatments and medications for her condition and they just aren’t working, we’ll explore hysterectomy as a way to improve her quality of life.”
After a referral from her doctor, the staff at Women & Babies Hospital makes sure each woman understands her options.
“For example, we can remove the tubes and ovaries during a hysterectomy,” Dr. Conslato says. “That will induce early menopause, which a younger woman may not want. But once the ovaries are removed, there is no chance of ovarian cancer. It depends on the woman’s individual preference.”
“We will meet with the patient and make sure they know who to see and what tests to have,” adds Sandra Leatherman, Nurse Manager for Couplet Care and the Women’s Inpatient Unit at Women & Babies Hospital. “Our goal is to make sure the process goes as smoothly as possible.”
Three Options
Three types of hysterectomies are available. Dr. Conslato says the preferred option is vaginal (TVH), which is less complicated and allows for faster recovery. Total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH) is more invasive, but in certain cases may be the only option.
A third option is a laparoscope-assisted vaginal hysterectomy, where thin tubes are inserted through tiny incisions in the abdomen near the navel. The uterus is then removed in sections through the laparoscope tube or through the vagina.
Patients meet with the entire surgical team before surgery so they feel more comfortable with the people
caring for them, and safety is always a top priority.
During her stay, a woman has a private room and bath, with a staff of nurses and doctors dedicated to the care and needs of a woman. They understand many of the thoughts and concerns a women may have about her life after a hysterectomy.
“Some women worry about a loss of femininity,” Dr. Conslato says. “Others are concerned about a loss of desire for sexual relations.
“Most women tell me after they’ve recovered that they are glad that they had it done, and that their quality of life has returned to where it was before they started having problems,” Dr. Conslato says.
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