Common Threads: Peripartum Hysterectomy

Many patients who experience this event often state how grateful they feel to be alive in the time immediately following the event, however, all those supporting them should allow for, and support, a wide range of emotions so they feel validated in the trauma they experienced to get there.

While still a relatively rare complication of childbirth, peripartum hysterectomy (a hysterectomy that happens within a short time frame of delivery) is happening more frequently and is often used as a life-saving measure in the setting of severe bleeding from a uterus that won’t contract after delivery and/or abnormal growth of the placenta into the uterus.

Patients who experience this event, unsurprisingly, often share a fear of dying during the event, guilt and self-blame that they somehow caused this and that their body failed them, and profound sadness and grief at the loss of their fertility. 

Many of these individuals often state how grateful they feel to be alive in the time immediately following the event, however, all those supporting them should allow for, and support, a wide range of emotions so they feel validated in the trauma they experienced to get there.

It is essential for these individuals to receive referrals for additional mental health support to mitigate the severity of post-traumatic stress symptoms and to support them in their grief.  

Two women have agreed to share their stories with me on this topic, and they are posted on our blog. You can read their personal narratives by clicking on the thumbnails below.

Resource for Patients:

Grounding Techniques for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

How grounding works, the benefits of using your senses to cope, and advice on when to seek medical help.

Resource for Providers:

Women’s Experiences Following Peripartum Hysterectomy: A Qualitative Study

Peripartum hysterectomy is a major operation and is inevitably performed where certain indications require removal of the uterus at the time of delivery or in the immediate postpartum period. It is a traumatic birth event that affects women’s physical, physiological, psychological, social, and sexual health. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of women undergone peripartum hysterectomy.

Commentary and Resources provided by Dr. Tracey Vogel