Keen to hear experiences from women who had their cervix removed :0)

[HGate]

Hi Ladies,

I hope you are all well and the spring is giving you a nice boost. I am 39 and two weeks pre TAH. It's been a long wait to get here and eventually I have had to go private, as my womb is now at least 16 weeks (no recent scan, just an examination) and my symptoms are shrinking my life. To anyone waiting during COVID, I sympathise!

Overall, after LOADS of therapy and help from practitioners, family, my partner and friends, I am feeling very positive about how my life my look once I've recovered and the spring energy is helping that. However, I am having a big wave of doubt about my decision NOT to keep my cervix. I decided not to keep it a while ago, for pragmatic reasons, at a point when things were rapidly closing up and everything looked very bleak. However, I just wanted to check with any of you who also had it removed, whether things were okay for you sexually afterwards? I think that's my main concern, along with a possible feeling of just not being so strong on the pelvic floors / loosing muscle tone in that area / intensifying the feelings of loss.

I would love to hear your experiences and thank you so much in advance for reading this. It's such a lovely forum and you are all so generous for writing about your experiences. I hope that I will do the same once I'm on the other side.

Hannah xx

[LouiseD1]

Hi Hannah, I can’t help with your question as I kept my cervix so I hope others will reply who can provide you with some advice, but I just wanted to wish you lots of luck for the op and do let us know how you are doing and if we can support you afterwards. You have had to wait such a long time and I’m sure it will be a big relief to be soon on the way to recovery and a pain free happy future 😄

[HGate in reply to LouiseD1]

Dear Louise,

Thank you so much for taking the time to write. It means such a lot. It's so hard to circumnavigate the internet! The cervix dilemma has been weighing on me for a long time, I think because removing it has felt like something I 'should' do based on the doctor's advice, but something I don't feel comfortable with. I have now decided I want to keep it. I'm hoping it's not too late to change my mind, and that the short term inconvenience caused with be worth it for the recovery.

I understand from internet research that it can result in some cyclical bleeding afterwards, which is a risk I'm prepared to take, if it's just a bit of spotting. It seems that there is less blood loss in subtotal surgery and reduced risk of complications and so I'm hoping that any small amounts of residual bleeding afterwards is minor compared with the other factors.

Thank you again for your time and thoughts,

Hannah xxx

[hunnypot93]

Hi Hannah! I cannot say, because my cervix was removed and I'm only 2 1/2 weeks post op. But I can tell you what my surgeon said. She told me that the cervix is removed if is it safe to do so because if any little bit of uterus left behind it is potential for fibroids or cancerous cells to grow and it would be more difficult to detect that. I was told that they removed my fallopian tubes because if they developed cancer, it could be too late before it is detected due to the tubes being so thin. My previous consultant said I would keep my cervix to maintain structure. I agreed with this because I was worried about the space of my removed uterus and... I know this may sound silly but I was worried about my partner 'hitting' the newly formed end of my vagina and causing pain. But I was also worried in keeping the cervix because, in my research, I found that most women have their cervix removed, so was this the better option?

I still don't know if removing the cervix was the best option for me. Time will tell. But I keep telling myself that millions of women have had their cervix removed and many have had good sex lives. My friend told me about her aunt who I never knew I had a hysterectomy, had a wonderful sex life, having multiple partners her entire life. But I am still nervous about my first time post op.

[HGate in reply to hunnypot93]

HI Hunny Pot,

That's so so kind of you to take the time to write during your recovery. It sounds like you are being really brave and you did the right thing.

If it reassures you, I've spoken to a few women who had no problems with intimacy after a TAH and as you say, so many women don't have the choice, and there isn't a lot of research, so we should give ourselves a break about the decision. I have read so many articles on subtotal vs total and it seems that the jury is out on which is 'best'. I came to the conclusion that therefore, whichever I did, I would make the most of it with lifestyle choices and not burden myself with any regrets.

However, ultimately, I have decided on Subtotal, as I have a history of a kidney reflux and UTIs, as one of my uterers is lower than normal (from childhood). I hadn't considered this personal history, but my mum pointed it out, so that's what led me to decide in the end. I believe that with SAH, they go less close to that area, which would be an issue for me personally. I will wait to see what the surgeon says.

I wish you all the very best with your recovery and thank you again for writing. This forum really helps doesn't it?

Hannah xx

[Seweezoe]

I had my cervix removed in October 2020 full hysterectomy. I have to say I feel completely normal again! Sex is how it was before, healing has been great. I had a great surgeon, his advice was more biased as he worked in oncology but said he did so many post hysto surgery to go back to remove cervix that he thought it was better to remove in first surgery and there wasn’t enough evidence for it affecting anything negatively to take it. I am so happy with how it’s all gone, whichever you decide I hope you will be a million times better after a couple of months recovery like I was! Good luck!

[HGate in reply to Seweezoe]

Thank you so much for writing!!!

[Katmatty]

I had a hysterectomy in July 2019 due to a womb full of pre-cancerous polyps. I had everything removed - womb, cervix, ovaries, Fallopian tubes - and don’t regret a thing. I feel loud I have my life back and much more. Had a letter a few weeks ago inviting me for a cervical smear (departments obviously don’t speak to each other 🤦‍♀️) and just popped it in the bin 😉😊Seriously though - I know everyone is different and you’ve got to do what is right for you and your body. Speak to your consultant. For me, the risks of leaving anything behind were far greater than removing everything. Good luck in whatever you decide xxxxx

[Taluh]

Hi guys, I had a partial hysterectomy 10 years ago, cervix and uterus removed. Sex is normal and great not having a period for so long. Still have one ovary so am not yet to go through menopause that I know of. Am 39 years old. Have just been through alot because of my pelvic floor, to my knowledge its because I dont have a uterus, the uterus holds your pelvic wall. I sprained my groin, hip, thigh and tore open my scar just slightly and had a stage one prolapse. So I get what you mean but ild look into it abit more first. After I had the hysterectomy done I did feel abit down because I lost my baby making tools lol, but that went away and was hormonal, but then Pain stopped and I felt great. So it has its positives and negatives. And like someone else said and my doctor, there is no way you can get cancer down there with the cervix gone.

Hope you have a fast recovery