. Wertheim's) hysterectomy, is the removal of the womb, cervix, tissue around the cervix (parametrium), fallopian tubes, pelvic lymph nodes, the upper part of the vagina and sometimes the ovaries

Panhysterectomy is surgical removal of the uterus and the ovaries and oviducts and cervix and related lymph nodes

So in essence there is not much difference

from Greek ὑστέρα hystera"womb" and ἐκτομία ektomia "a cutting out of

It means operating to surgically remove all or part of the uterus.

What you may be having is pain from scar tissue, which can feel like cramps. Anytime you have abdominal surgery there is always a good possibility of scar tissue developing, even years after the surgery. And the scar tissue can actually get painful enough to cause intense pain. Sometimes doctors have to perform surgery just to remove the scar tissue.

But if they didn't remove your ovaries when you had your uterus removed, you could have an ovarian cyst, which can be extremely painful, too. Also, if you still have your ovaries, you can still develop ovarian cancer, so you need to see your ob-gyn to find out what's going on.

A little more info on this. The points made above by the previous author are very good points. However, if you did not have your ovaries removed in the hysterectomy then yes, you can still get cramps. These would be the milder cramps you get during ovulation, many women never even notice any, some are quite aware of them. It's actually a good thing to take note of. Ovaulation occurs about half way through the cycling month. Some women get their menses (periods) on a 28 day cycle, some on a 30 day or longer, & some are irregular in the timing. Most are pretty regular. So on a 28 day cycle, it would be around the 14th day from the first day of your last period. It's ok to be general on this after a hysterectomy when there is no chance of pregnancy. Otherwise you'd want to get the timing down a little better if you are A) trying to concieve, or B) trying NOT to concieve. To learn more about that, there are various methods, charts, ovaulations kits, etc.

Back to topic; yes there can be cramping upon ovaulation for women with their ovaries. You will not get the strong uterine cramping (contracting) though of course. There may be no feelings of cramping as the egg releases from the ovary or there may be some slight twinges, some women may feel a couple decent little cramps. And the can be different month to month.

If a woman has a cyst or two on an ovary, they will feel it more. Most cysts are no big deal, they form then dissapate, less common are ovarian cysts that require a doctors attention. You'll know.

Keeping your ovaries when having a hysterectomy is the way you want to go. Many dr's just take them out like they are cleaning house. Uh-uh, they are wonderful to have, especsially now that pregnancy isn't a concern.

As I told my Dr when a hysterectomy was required; Don't touch my ovaries! If you get in there and you see something about them that concerns you,...close me up and talk to me about it when I'm lucid and then I'll decide. The ovaries are like the fountain of youth. That's the good stuff. All those yummy hormones let your sex-drive continue to drive! So while you will no longer bleed monthly. You will still get what I call the " invisible period".

Emotional fluctuations still occur at the same 28-30 day intervals, but not quite as intense. This will lessen and disappear altogether as one goes through and completes menopause. BUT most importantly you will still ovulate, which is lovely. Don't forget that's when you would have been fertile. Mother Nature wants to ensure the survival of the species. So it made sex pleasurable and it made it most pleasurable at the time when we are most fertile (good thinking). Love to hold a baby? Love puppies? That's an instinct to keep the young alive, its pleasurable. Same with breastfeeding.

Here's what happens: you get a bit leaner around the time of ovulation, lean & mean, not mean in a bad way, lean and mean in a good, good way. It's when you look your best and feel strong & sexy, and more energenic. Your sex drive is at its very highest. So sensual.

Whether one realizes it or not, many little things occur that you likely never attributed to the blissfully hormonal time of ovulation (why don't any teachers or doctors tell us this stuff?):

You may choose to be a bit more social (or if you have a very special honey at home, you may just lock the doors). You might find yourself putting a little more effort into hair and make up. You may suddenly really want to wear that low cut top or sexy dress that have been in your closet. Dancing seems to be extra fun. You'll probably be a little (or a lot) more flirty. You may be drawn to activities with a sensual feel like swimming or working out.

Cool stuff huh? A woman releases the hormone relaxin around the time of ovulation and up to the onset of her mesnes. Relaxin is the hormone that loosens the joints of the hips & limbs during pregnancy allowing the hips to spread a little wider for baby. It also makes for the sexy sway that's a bit more pronounced during ovulation.

BTW; because of the release of relaxin, more women sustain knee injuries during that span of time, so be aware of that next time you ski.

Tell your honey to forget about noting your period dates on his calender, tell him to make note of your ovulation dates, and make sure to be home! In fact when a woman still has her uterus that calender dating is very important. People mark it to see if the period is on time. Mark it for ovulation to either make sure a pregnancy doesn't happen or to vastly increase your chances.

I used to have my guy mark it so that he could take charge of the birth control at that time, because I was not to be relied on. I realized that that primal part of me wantedwhat it wanted. Well, I learned it after my first child. Think twice before agreeing to having your ovaries removed just because you may need to have the uterus removed.

To Clarify:

As one who had a hysterectomy in my late 20's (including removal of ovaries), I know for a fact that it does NOT decrease the sex drive. It also didn't affect my energy or agility. I still enjoyed all the same activities after my hysterectomy that I did before having it. I still danced (even took modern dance classes after my hysterectomy), water skiied, walked two miles every day, rode my bike, played volleyball, ran races, played softball, etc.

I never felt 'less of a woman', and still wore makeup, did my hair, wore pretty lingerie, and all the other girly things many women enjoy doing, just as I did before my hysterectomy. I realized that being sexy was a state of mind, not a state of body parts.

If you have a history of ovarian cysts, and if your doctor tells you he feels it would be best to remove your ovaries while removing your uterus, you need to listen to him and discuss it with him, and get a second opinion if you want. Ovarian cysts often recur, and can be extremely painful (as mine were). And ovarian cancer is called the 'silent cancer' because there are no symptoms. And it's a proven fact that women with no ovaries wil never get ovarian cancer.

So if your doctor feels you need to have your ovaries out, you need to base your decision on what you and your doctor feel is best for you, not on what you think you may be missing out on if you have them removed. This could be your LIFE on the line.

origially comes from Greek ὑστέρα hystera "womb" and ἐκτομία ektomia "a cutting out of.

Spaying is reserved for female animals neutering for male animals.