Article: Vagina - Hysterectomy Make It Shorter?

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Article: Vagina - Hysterectomy Make It Shorter?
I'm curious. After a hysterectomy when the cervix is removed, is the vagina shorter?

Doctors who are asked this question by their hysterectomy patients give answers which vary from, “No,” to “Possibly…but only by a few millimeters,” to “Actually, it might be a tiny bit longer after the surgery.” Unless something unusual happens, any permanent change in length of the vagina would be so negligible that, after all post-op healing occurs and the swelling of tissues subsides, it shouldn’t be detectible without utilizing a precise measuring device.

Of course, to determine any change in length, you would have had to measure your vagina before the surgery, which would be unlikely for most women to think to do.

One doctor explained it to his patient like this, “Picture a tall glass being the vagina. Now, set an apple on the opening of the glass. The apple is the uterus. The part of the apple that hangs into the glass is the cervix. Now, remove the apple. After the apple is removed, there is actually more room at the top of the glass. But then, suturing the edges of the glass (to create the vaginal cuff) takes up some of the space that remained after the apple was removed. So, the net result in vaginal length is about the same as before the surgery.”

Some newly post-op hysterectomy patients report that after they get their doctor’s clearance to resume intercourse and they do it again for the first time, they sense that their vagina is shorter - and sometimes their partner reports the same sensation. The vaginal cuff does experience quite a bit of swelling that often lasts beyond six weeks. Additionally, although vaginal tissue is extremely elastic, the cuff is quite stiff while it’s in the healing stages.

Women who experience an uncomfortable “bottoming out” in their early post-op intercourse sessions are probably having an issue with lack of elasticity rather than true shortness. With time, the tissue becomes more supple and accommodating.

But this is a very good reason to be certain that, in those first several post-surgery encounters, you make sure that you are positioned to control the depth of penetration. The use of a lubricant also proves helpful to many. Remember to be kind and gentle to your body during the early post-op time.

This content was written by staff of HysterSisters.com by non-medical professionals based on discussions, resources and input from other patients for the purpose of patient-to-patient support.