To Leave Cervix or Not?

Hi Everyone,
I have a question concerning my cervix. I will be having a hysterectomy this month and I asked my Dr. about keeping my cervix. He said that he usually takes out the cervix along with the uterus because a few years down the road that people generally have a bad pap. Has anyone ever heard this? I have never had an abnormal pap and cervical cancer doesn't run in my family. My TAH will be for distorted and dropping uterus and multiple fibroids. If cervix is taken do you still have to have a pap smear once a year? I looked under search for questions concerning cervix, but couldn't find the answer I was looking for.
Thanks so much and God Bless,


Linda

Hello, I will tell you what I had and why, but it is still your decission and your drs. I kept my cervix, I had never had a bad pap and no cervical cancer in family, my dr. said by keeping the cervix it provides more support for the future, I do still have to have yearly paps and I did ask about bad paps or cervical cancer in the future and dr. said it could easily be removed if it had to be, I talked again and again to my dr. and to lots of other ladies here and outside of here and it was my decission to keep it, I wanted to have all the support I could for the future. You still have some time so continue to talk to people and drs. to make sure you get all your questions answered so you are prepared to make the right decission for you. Good luck and please keep coming back.

Linda - Since you're thinking about keeping your cervix you must be scheduled for abdominal...right???

If you keep ovaries (one and/or both) AND cervix there's a chance for what has been referred to as "mini periods". Use search engine at the top and search for that using keyword....but discuss with your gyn. too.

Good luck with your decision.

PS - I had tah/bso and gyn. recommended annual pap smears.

6 weeks post op with SAH, uterus and fibroids only removed. at four weeks post op, gyn told me was less swelling/inflammation and no bladder complications. will continue to get annual pap. no history of cervical cancer in my family.

hope this info. is helpful, but only you will know what is best for you.

take care.

fig

Dear Linda,

I was diagnosed with prolapsed uterus & had a TVH. As I pondered all the hyst options in front of me, I thot about keeping the cervix, but I had some bad paps in the past, and with prolapse, the cervix is falling too, so I opted to lose it.

Regarding post-op pap smears, my doc told me that the vagina, uterus, & cervix are embryonically the same. There is no dotted line in there for the surgeon to use when removing your uterus and/or cervix. Therefore, cells from the uterus & cervix could be left behind after a hyst. He recommended a pap at least every coupla years.

I am past 40 (ack!!) and I have decided to continue *annual* (more or less) visits to my doc. My car goes for regular check-ups, my dog needs shots every year to get tags... and gosh darn it, I think *I* am worth some regular check-ups too And as long as I'm in there (& naked), I may as well get the works.

Sending cyberhugs

LOL Twyla, at the rationalization for annual checkups! True though!
My doc told me that...
I needed a yearly pap smear for 3 years. And...
If, at the end of those 3 years, all of the paps were within normal limits, I then could go on the every-three-year plan. But, I do need 3 in a row to be clear.

And I had 2 cervix removed!

Check on your docs' preferences, best of luck to you!

God Bless,
Ami

Hi Ladies,
Thanks to all of you for being so kind in trying to help me with my decision. Can you all tell me how you managed to sleep at night prior to the surgery? I wake up and toss and turn with all kinds of thoughts and can't go back to sleep. I have a little over 2 weeks before my surgery and I certainly need to sleep. Thanks again.

God Bless,

Linda

I had lots of trouble sleeping before surgery. I told doctor and she gave me prescription for Ambien, a sleeping pill. The stuff worked fast, but didn't last long. The first night I took it I got 5 hours of sleep. The night of surgery I got 3 hours. I was hoping I could finally "catch up" on my sleep when the anesthiologist put me under. I was wondering just for curiosity if that type of sleep (the anesthesia) would help you catch up? In other words, is it restorative? I don't think you would dream under that kind of sleep like you might under regular sleep.

After hysterectomy when I got home I did get sleep. I slept 8 hours at night and took three naps a day, morning, noon, and afternoon.