Hysterectomy

Hysterectomy, the most radical treatment for endometriosis, involves surgically removing the uterus, both ovaries and both fallopian tubes, along with as many areas as possible of misplaced endometrial tissue.

A hysterectomy can be performed by making a cut (incision) in your abdomen, which exposes the organs and tissues that need to be removed. This is called an abdominal hysterectomy. During the procedure, a woman will have general anesthesia and will be asleep.

A hysterectomy also can be performed through the vagina (vaginal hysterectomy), which eliminates the need for an abdominal incision. However, in women with endometriosis, an open incision allows the surgeon the opportunity to better view the abdominal cavity to look for and remove areas of endometriosis.

The major advantage of hysterectomy is that it is very effective, and recurrences of endometriosis are rare. After a hysterectomy, a woman will no longer have menstrual periods and may experience symptoms of menopause. However, those symptoms can be controlled with hormone replacement therapy and other medication.