Pregnancy after hysterectomy - Hysterectomy Message Board

Dark Stranger · 09-24-2005, 12:33 AM

I have heard of pregnancy occurring after hysterectomy...I'm not sure how common it is, but I find it to be pretty hard to fathom. If a woman has her uterus removed and any eggs produced are absorbed back into her body, how in the name of all that is sacred can a woman conceive? Does that sperm magically get through and swim throughout the woman's entire body and find that egg by pure chance and fertilize it before it's absorbed? Where does the child grow if there is no uterus and no uterine lining to attach itself to? Does the child grow in the abdomen?

Would a woman need surgery to correct this kind of condition, or would she end up miscarrying anyway and not need to worry about it?

Sorry for asking all these questions, but the thought of pregnancy following hysterectomy perplexes me - that's like saying someone can contract appendicitis after their appendix has been removed. It makes little sense to me. But, if anyone knows anything about this, please share your knowledge.

Note: I am not pregnant nor have I undergone a hysterectomy...I'm just wondering if anyone here has ever heard of this ever happening, or if anyone has had it happen to them.

...................

Dark Stranger

kdac81 · 09-24-2005, 04:32 PM

Dark Stranger,

I have never heard of this happening but if it did I wish that I was one that it happen to with a success story Pregnancy. I'm 24 and had a Hyst. in 2000 and so wish that I could give myself and my spouse a baby of our own. Last week I spent the week with my spouses, brothers baby and after that I really wish that I could go back and have 1 child.
I would never suggest to anyone that hasn't had child to go through with a hyst. You feel good about the decision you make at first and than things really change and you regret the decision.
I could not see how this would be possible once your uterus is gone. Would like to know more about it if you've heard other stuff.

kdac81

Lil'Pea · 09-24-2005, 06:50 PM

Well, this one had me perplexed too...so I did a little research. And the big shocker? YES, it CAN happen! I read in medical articles/dictionaries that this has occurred, but of course is rare. The sperm naturally know to swim up, and the eggs kind of automatically go down to meet in the middle (basic sex ed for everyone! lol)...SO, if you still have your ovaries and they are functioning...well-there ya go! I only found one that said anything about someone carrying to term though. The others had to be surgically removed..

Yikes, makes me glad I had my ovaries out! I mean, I would have loved to have more children, but gosh, not in my abdomen and would NOT want to go through the emotional trauma of having to have it removed! Wow! Interesting post!

kdac81 · 09-25-2005, 01:13 PM

Lil'Pea,

This is amazing, actually what our body does is interesting... That is a very rare thing, I never heard such a thing happening...

off kilter · 09-26-2005, 03:19 AM

Pregnancy following hysterectomy has been described: the pregnancy can be in the fallopian tube (ectopic pregnancy) or in the abdominal cavity. In both circumstances, this is not a pregnancy that has a good future. It can happen but usually presents as a surgical emergency. A intra abdominal pregnancy can occur even if there is no uterus because the placenta really only needs a blood supply so in therory and it has happen a egg could attach to almost any organ. There has been some talk of implanting a fertilized egg in a man's abdomen and having a man carry a baby. delivery by C-Section of course. abdominal cavity pregnancys also have occured when the uterus has ruptured and the baby continues to grow now freely in the abdomen.The only examples I found where the babies were born ,were in the cases of ruptured uterus and the mothers were far enough along to operate and remove the babies before complications set in. {removed} It is very,very,rare often can be deadly due to complication. For those ladies who have had their cervix removed also and the opening stitched shut it is impossible because sperm reaches a dead end and can't enter the abdomen.