Supracervical Hysterectomy Allows A Woman To Keep Her Cervix Intact

Supracervical hysterectomy allows a woman to keep her cervix intact when the decision has been made to remove her uterus. Many women may not think about the fact that a vaginal hysterectomy takes the cervix out at the same time that the uterus is removed. Even if they do think about it most women won’t be aware of the reasons they may want to preserve this piece of connective tissue.

What is the cervix and what purpose does it serve?

The cervix links the uterus to the vagina. It is about an inch long and can be felt by inserting a finger into the vaginal canal. The cervix performs two functions: One, it helps to lubricate the vaginal area; two, it provides support for a wide variety of pelvic ligaments.

Why would a woman want to avoid having her cervix removed?

Any time the loss of a useful piece of body tissue can be avoided, it should be avoided. While a woman can get along without a cervix she may notice significantly dryer vaginal tissue after its loss. Losing her cervix may also destabilize the pelvic area. For these reasons if there is no evidence of cervical disease, a woman may want to discuss a supracervical hysterectomy with her physician.

How is a supracervical hysterectomy performed?

A supracervical hysterectomy proceeds through the abdomen. An incision is made, the uterus is cut away from the body and the cervix is not. While the operation may sound simple, it is not. Any form of hysterectomy is major surgery. An abdominal hysterectomy requires more time in the operating room, a slightly longer hospital stay and a somewhat longer rehabilitation period. It will also leave abdominal scars; for these reasons many women may avoid having an abdominal hysterectomy. In fact, the possibility of operating through the abdomen in order to save the cervix may never even be discussed with a woman if she simply asks her doctor about the easiest way to remove her uterus.

A laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy is an alternative which a woman may want to consider. The doctor utilizes a laparoscope (a thin optical tube) inserted through a small abdominal incision to view the pelvic cavity. The surgeon will then insert other slender surgical instruments through two additional small cuts. These instruments will be used to cut the uterus, but not the cervix, from the body and to shred it into pieces small enough to be pulled out through the incisions. The time in surgery, the time in the hospital and the recovery time are all only slightly longer than those required by a vaginal hysterectomy. Scarring is limited to the sites of the three incisions.

After research and consultation with her doctor, a woman may decide that keeping her cervix is the appropriate course of action in her particular circumstance; if so, she will elect to have some sort of supracervical hysterectomy. Any woman who chooses this route should be aware that by not removing her cervix she remains vulnerable to cervical cancer. It is, therefore, of prime importance that she continues to have regular pap smears.

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