What You Need to Know About This Surgical Procedure

If you’re considering having a hysterectomy or are looking for alternative or less-invasive treatment options, these websites, organizations, support groups, and articles can help you better understand your medical choices. By weighing the risks and benefits of hysterectomy alongside various procedures and treatments, you can make a more informed decision regarding your own healthcare.

Essential Hysterectomy Info: Methods, Conditions, and Alternative Treatments

American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)

Founded in 1944 by a small group of fertility experts, the ASRM is a great source for information on any number of topics related to reproductive medicine. Two particular educational videos worth taking a look at on the ASRM patient site deal with endometriosis and fibroid tumors.

Cleveland Clinic

The site’s easy to follow hysterectomy section covers topics from procedure details to recovery.

Johns Hopkins Medicine

If you’re looking for a quick overview of the different types of hysterectomy, you can find one on this famed medical institution’s site.

Mayo Clinic

The site offers insightful info on any given medical topic. In addition to several useful articles on all aspects of hysterectomy and its related conditions, you can view a helpful Q&A with a Mayo Clinic gynecologic surgeon where she discusses, among other topics, the advantages and disadvantages of different hysterectomy approaches and provides advice on how to choose the right hysterectomy.

Office on Women’s Health (OWH)

If you’re looking to better understand all matters hysterectomy-related, the Office on Women’s Health is a great resource. A division within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), OWH addresses critical women’s health issues, in part through educating consumers. Here you can find fact sheets full of accessible info on hysterectomy and read blog posts by women who have had the surgery already. You can also get information about hysterectomy by calling the OWH Helpline at 800-994-9662.

MedlinePlus

A resource of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, this online medical encyclopedia contains authoritative and up-to-date info on over 1,000 medical issues and topics, including hysterectomy. It’s an essential go-to.

American Cancer Society

Just thinking about cancer can be overwhelming — and it can be hard to navigate through all the online content that’s out there. If you’ve been diagnosed or are facing the prospect of cancer treatment, or even just want to learn more about it, the American Cancer Society is a great resource. Here you’ll find info on uterine, cervical, and endometrial cancers. You can also call their Cancer Helpline at 800-227-2345 or live chat through the website.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)

ACOG is the premier organization for obstetricians and gynecologists and providers of women’s healthcare, and its Patient Pages contain fact-filled FAQs on a number of gynecologic problems and procedures, including endometriosis, uterine fibroids, laparoscopy, and hysterectomy.

Essential Information on Treating Conditions Related to Hysterectomy

Fibroids

Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR)

Perhaps your medical team has suggested uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) — a minimally invasive treatment for fibroids — as an alternative to traditional surgery, but your understanding of this treatment is limited.

SIR represents more than 800 physicians, scientists, physicians assistants, nurse practitioners, and others practicing interventional radiology, and it offers a doctor finder database to help you find SIR-member interventional radiologists in your area.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis Association

Founded in Milwaukee in 1980, this organization was the first in the world created for those with endometriosis. This site dispels some of the common myths about this often painful and challenging-to-treat disease and provides lots of useful info on diagnosis and treatments. You can also find information on coping techniques and nutrition tips.

Endometriosis Foundation of America

This nonprofit, cofounded by Padma Lakshmi and Tamer Seckin, MD, funds endometriosis research and informs the medical community and the public about the disease, emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis and effective treatments. Lena Dunham is on the executive board of directors.

Through the foundation’s website, you can access The Blossom, the organization’s newsletter, which is rich with endo-related articles, such as a Q&A with a researcher who is studying links between the disease and environmental toxins. You can also find helpful information about exercise and alternative pain therapies, like reiki.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse

American Urogynecologic Society Voices for PFD

This is a great site for those seeking to better understand pelvic floor disorders and understand pelvic organ prolapse. Childbirth and aging are factors that increase your risk, and here you can learn more about both prevention (check out their Fact Sheet on Pelvic Floor Exercises) and treatment.

Chronic Pelvic Pain

American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA)

Since 1980, the ACPA has offered peer support and education in pain management skills to people with pain and their care providers. This organization’s 152-page “Resource Guide to Chronic Pain Management” provides in-depth info on all manner of pain treatment from medication to Pilates, yoga, and therapeutic massage.

How to Find a Doctor Who Specializes in Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy and Surgery: Tips From Experts

• “When looking at doctors’ profiles on hospital web pages, you can often find their areas of expertise and interest. The phrases ‘minimally invasive surgery,’ ‘vaginal surgery,’ or ‘robotic-assisted laparoscopy’ are a good sign,” says Kate White, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Boston University in Massachusetts.
• “HERS (Hysterectomy Educational Resources and Services) maintains a list of doctors who at least 25 women have reported having had good surgical outcomes with. If you don’t find one in your area, I suggest you google your nearest medical school. Then find the obstetrics and gynecology department and search for faculty members. Bios can tell you the member’s specialty, and they may also include statements about the doctor’s philosophy, along with the location of their clinical practice and phone number,” says Nora W. Coffey, a coauthor of The H Word: The Diagnostic Studies to Evaluate Symptoms, Alternatives in Treatment, and Coping With the Aftereffects of Hysterectomy.

Health Websites With Physician Search Tools and Doctor Finder Help

AAGL

The search for the right medical specialist can be daunting, but there are resources to guide you. Established in 1971 and formerly known as the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists, the AAGL is a nonprofit association with 7,000 members worldwide working to improve patient care in gynecologic surgery. Through their MISforWomen.com website, you can search for surgeons by specialty who perform minimally invasive surgery.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)

Search the organization’s physician directory by location or name and find additional information, including hospital affiliations, contact information, and languages spoken.

American Institute of Minimally Invasive Surgery (AIMIS)

This site offers access to a “find a physician” tool with links to surgeons who perform minimally invasive procedures.

HysterSisters

There’s hardly a hysterectomy-related topic that you can’t find addressed here; the online community numbers more than 475,000 members and there are more than five million posts. The self-described “Woman-to-Woman” Hysterectomy Support group also offers a doctor directory where you can search by specialty with links to physician websites.

Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons (SLS)

SLS members specialize in minimally invasive surgeries. A search tool on their website can help you find SLS members who may specialize in obstetrics and gynecology.

Advocacy for People Living With Health Issues Related to Hysterectomy

HealthyWomen

For more than 30 years, millions of women have turned to Healthy Women for clear, concise health information. The nonprofit provides research-based facts on topics, including diseases and conditions, healthy aging, and policy issues.

HERS Foundation

Established in 1982, this foundation has been on the forefront of enlightening women about the alternatives to and the consequences of hysterectomy for nearly four decades. HERS provides information on various symptoms and conditions, details alternatives to hysterectomy, and offers free physician referrals and counseling by phone.

Our Favorite Surgery Recovery Tips and Post Hysterectomy Resources

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

What kind of pain can I expect during my recovery? Is it normal to feel this tired? You’ll find answers to these questions and others in this cancer center’s Health Library “Recovery From Hysterectomy” post.

Hysterectomy and Related Conditions: Books and Articles

• “The ‘Madness’ of Unnecessary Hysterectomy Has to Stop” While some 10 percent of hysterectomies are performed to treat cancers of the ovaries, uterus, or cervix, the majority are considered “elective” (such as those performed in the treatment of endometriosis or fibroids after other therapies or treatments haven’t been successful in alleviating symptoms). If you are in the “thinking about it” stage, you may want to read this guest post on the Lown Institute blog. The anonymous author describes having a hysterectomy and being “overly treated and permanently harmed” by her gynecologist. For sure, it’s an interesting read and something to think about as you consider treatment options.
• “The Unexpected Grief of a Hysterectomy” In this April 2023 article published in The New Yorker, Anna Holmes writes about the sense of loss she felt at the prospect of losing her uterus, even though she experienced problems related to fibroids for many years. She descibes a previous surgery to remove fibroids in an attempt to save a uterus that “was bringing me nothing but misery,” and grapples with a conflict between her feminist beliefs and her realization that her uterus was important to her identity as a woman.
• “In Her Own Words: Lena Dunham on Her Decision to Have a Hysterectomy at 31” In this essay, published in March 2018 in Vogue, the actor, writer, and director Lena Dunham reflects on her decade-long struggle with endometriosis, which ultimately led her to choose hysterectomy for what she describes as a “defective” uterus.
• “Padma Lakshmi: ‘I Was Being Penalized Because I Have a Uterus’” In this article by Meredith Woerner published in April 2018 in Variety (with accompanying video), the Top Chef host and cofounder of the Endometriosis Foundation of America describes a 20-year struggle that finally led to her endometriosis diagnosis at age 36.
• “Gabrielle Union on Her Adenomyosis Diagnosis: ‘I Finally Got Some Answers’” The actor Gabrielle Union opens up about her fertility struggles and adenomyosis diagnosis in this article by Maria Parsquini, published August 13, 2018, in People.
• Should You Have a Hysterectomy? How to Decide Download this New York State Department of Health brochure to access information on such topics as the benefits and risks of hysterectomy, getting a second opinion, and recovery. The booklet includes a list of questions to ask your doctor as you consider the surgery.
• The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy This invaluable source of advice and information by Lauren F. Streicher, MD, guides you through all aspects of hysterectomy, with chapters covering decisions regarding surgery, alternative procedures, and life after surgery (including sex and pregnancy concerns).
• Gynecological Anatomy Not quite sure where your ovaries are located or exactly where your uterus lies in your body? You’re not alone, and here Johns Hopkins Medicine offers a simple, helpful graphic that will explain it all.
• National Women’s Health Network: Hysterectomy You’ll find an excellent overview of hysterectomy here. Topics covered include surgical options, surgical and post-surgical risks, and hysterectomy alternatives.
• Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery Check out this quick synopsis by Mayo Clinic of current innovative treatment options.

Clinical Trials for Health Conditions Related to Hysterectomy

ClinicalTrials.gov

Here you can find a searchable database of studies for many conditions related to hysterectomy.

Additional reporting by Quinn Phillips.