Hysterectomy
is the surgical removal of the uterus; sometimes the cervix and/or ovaries
and fallopian tubes are also removed.
After cesarean section, hysterectomy is the
second most frequently performed major surgical procedure for women of
reproductive age in the United States.
Approximately 600,000 hysterectomies are
performed annually in the United States and an estimated 20 million U.S.
women have had a hysterectomy. From 1994–1999 the overall hysterectomy
rate for United States female civilian residents was 5.5. per 1,000 women.
During this time period, the overall rate
of hysterectomy remained fairly stable. While rates of vaginal hysterectomy
remained stable, laparoscopy assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) more
than doubled.
Hysterectomy rates were highest in women
aged 40–44 years. The three conditions most often associated with hysterectomy
were uterine leiomyoma ("fibroid tumors"), endometriosis, and uterine prolapse.
