About Contact Us Home Services Patient Education Our Staff Hysterectomy Studies: Sexual Function Not Hurt by Hysterectomy From the Article by Norra MacReady, Los Angeles Sexual function does not diminish and may even improve after hysterectomy, according to two new studies. In the first study, 70% of 70 women said they had no net change or an increased desire for sex at an average follow-up of 170 days after hysterectomy, compared with baseline levels. In the second study, overall sexual satisfaction increased significantly in 352 women evaluated 6 months postoperatively. Both reports showed that sexual outcomes did not differ by hysterectomy approach. All participants in the first study underwent hysterectomy at the same hospital and were interviewed immediately before and an average of 170 days after the procedure, Dr. Katherine Dragisic said in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Central Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Fibroids, bleeding or menstrual problems, and pelvic pain were the most common indications for the surgery, and many women had multiple indications, said Dr. Dragisic and associates of Northwestern University, Chicago. The percentage of women reporting pain during intercourse decreased significantly from baseline levels, dropping from 40% to 7%. There were no significant changes in the percentage of patients who were sexually active before and after hysterectomy, and there were no changes in the strength or frequency of orgasm in 65% and 60% of the women, respectively. Finally, there were no significant differences in reports of pain during sex or desire for sex associated with the different surgical techniques. The second study, which was published in the British Medical Journal, included 413 women who underwent hysterectomy for benign disease. Before surgery patients completed a questionnaire designed to screen for sexual dysfunction; it included questions about problems such as lubrication, pain, and arousal. Patients also were asked to evaluate sexual satisfaction, which they rated on a scale of 0-10, with a higher score indicating greater satisfaction (BMJ 327[7418]:774-78, 2003). A total of 352 women again completed the survey 6 months after surgery: 104 had undergone vaginal hysterectomy, 84 had subtotal abdominal hysterectomy, and 164 had total abdominal hysterectomy. In each group, ratings of general sexual satisfaction increased significantly, from a preoperative mean of 7 to a postoperative mean of approximately 7.5. Among women in each surgical group who reported any type of sexual problem before surgery, the reports decreased by 41% – 46% after surgery; these decreases did not differ significantly between groups, reported Dr. Jan-Paul WR Roovers and colleagues of the University Medical Center of Utrecht, the Netherlands. These findings suggest that de novo sexual problems arising after hysterectomy are scarce, and that the type of surgery has no bearing on postoperative sexual function, they said. “Apparently, more extensive disruption of local innervation and anatomical relations during total hysterectomy does not lead to more sexual dysfunction,” the authors commented. To learn more on Hysterectomies, please call us at (574) 295-8805 Recent Patient Education Articles Planning a Pregnancy Obesity and Weight Loss Hysterectomy Update on Breast Cancer Prevention Important Numbers Office switchboard Emergency care (after hours) OB Nurse GYN Nurse OB Appointments GYN Appointments Prescription refills: OB Prescription refills: GYN Insurance Patient Accounts (574) 295-8805 1-877-777-4990 (574) 522-0274 (574) 295-8805 (574) 294-8750 (574) 522-5562 (574) 522-0274 (574) 295-8805 (574) 522-2253 (574) 295-8566 River Oaks GYN Office Lexington Landing 2405 West Lexington Avenue Elkhart, Indiana 46514 (574) 295-8805 Appointments (574) 522-5562 Fax (574) 522-0039 River Oaks OB Office Elkhart General West Wing 1215 Lawn Avenue, Suite 110 Elkhart, Indiana 46514 OB Nurse (574) 522-0274 OB Appointments (574) 294-8750 Fax (574) 296-2803 River Oaks OB/GYN of Elkhart, Indiana Terms of Use Privacy Policy Contact Us River Oaks OB/GYN Associates P.C. • 2405 West Lexington Avenue, Elkhart, IN 46514