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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Abdominal hysterectomy is a surgical procedure that removes your uterus through an incision in your lower abdomen. Your uterus — or womb — is where a baby grows if you're pregnant. A partial hysterectomy removes just the uterus, and a total hysterectomy removes the uterus and the cervix.
Sometimes a hysterectomy includes removal of one or both ovaries and fallopian tubes, a procedure called total hysterectomy with salpingo-oophorectomy (sal-ping-go-o-of-uh-REK-tuh-me).
Hysterectomy can also be performed through an incision in the vagina (vaginal hysterectomy) or by a laparoscopic or robotic surgical approach — which uses long, thin instruments passed through small abdominal incisions. Abdominal hysterectomy may be recommended over other types of hysterectomy if you have a large uterus or if your doctor wants to check other pelvic organs for signs of disease.
- Stovall TG, et al. Abdominal hysterectomy. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Nov. 6, 2012.
- Hoffman BL, et al. Williams Gynecology. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=768. Accessed Nov. 6, 2012.
- Falcone T, et al. Overview of hysterectomy. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Nov. 12, 2012.
- Frequently asked questions. Special procedures FAQ008. Hysterectomy. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/~/media/For%20Patients/faq008.pdf?dmc=1&ts=20121106T1337303494. Accessed Nov. 12, 2012.
- Hysterectomy fact sheet. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health. http://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/hysterectomy.cfm. Accessed Nov. 12, 2012.
- About hysterectomy: Surgical removal of the uterus, or womb. American College of Surgeons. http://www.facs.org/public_info/operation/brochures/hysterectomy.pdf. Accessed Nov. 12, 2012.
- Nieboer TE, et al. Surgical approach to hysterectomy for benign gynaecological disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD003677.pub4/abstract. Accessed Nov. 13, 2012.
- Bakkum-Gamez JN (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 27, 2012.
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