How to relieve the "empty feeling" after hysterectomy

According to statistics from the Chinese Obstetrics and Gynecology Network, hysterectomy is the most common gynecological surgery in China!

Some people who have undergone a hysterectomy often experience strong emotional reactions or depression. Most people feel better after a few weeks, but some women feel depressed for a long time.

They worry about:

"Having my hysterectomy removed my feminine features and would make me less attractive."

"Having a hysterectomy would cause me to age prematurely, turn into a man, and enter menopause early."

"Hysterectomy can lead to decreased libido and affect sex life."

In fact, the ovaries are the important organs for maintaining female characteristics. Although menstruation does not occur after hysterectomy, the ovaries are still preserved. Since the ovaries are still there, the secretion of sex hormones will not be damaged, and it will not lead to early menopause, decreased libido, loss of female characteristics, and masculinization.

In addition, the support of the husband and family is also indispensable. Before the operation, the patient should be accompanied to listen to the lectures to help her correctly understand the hysterectomy operation, the purpose of the operation, the changes in the sexual organs after the operation, and other possible situations, to understand the possible problems after the operation in advance, and to find feasible ways to solve the problems. The comfort and encouragement of family members after the operation are irreplaceable, which will increase the patient's feeling of being loved, enhance confidence, and help the patient return to normal life.

It is normal to have some temporary discomfort after a hysterectomy, but if you still feel down for more than two weeks, you should be careful.

Here are two self-assessment scales that can help patients assess their emotional state after surgery.

Please answer based on your situation in the past two weeks: Do you have the following situations? If so, how often? (Not at all = 0 points; Several days = 1 point; More than a week = 2 points; Almost every day = 3 points)

Scale (I)

1. Lack of motivation or interest in doing things

2. Feeling low, depressed, or hopeless

3. Difficulty falling asleep, restless sleep, or excessive sleep

4. Feeling tired or lacking energy

5. Loss of appetite or eating too much

6. Feeling bad about yourself - or feeling like a failure, or a disappointment to yourself and your family

7. Difficulty concentrating on things, such as reading a newspaper or watching TV

8: Are you moving or speaking so slowly that others can notice? Or the opposite - you are fidgeting or moving around more than usual.

9. Having thoughts of dying or harming oneself in some way

Scale (II)

1. Feeling nervous, anxious, or anxious

2. Inability to stop or control worrying

3. Worrying too much about various things

4. It’s hard to relax

5. Unable to sit still due to restlessness

6. Becoming easily annoyed or irritable

7: Feeling as if something terrible is about to happen and being afraid

Please calculate your scores on these two scales respectively.

If any score on the scale is greater than or equal to 5 points, it indicates that you may have emotional problems and it is recommended that you seek help from a doctor in the psychology department.

As long as you have a correct understanding of hysterectomy, maintain a positive and optimistic attitude, have confidence, and cooperate with the doctor's treatment, you will recover soon.

References

[1] Costantini L, Pasquarella C, Odone A, et al. Screening for depression in primary care with Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9): A systematic review [J]. J Affect Disord, 2020, 279: 473-483.

[2] Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JB, et al. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7 [J]. Arch Intern Med, 2006, 166(10): 1092-1097.

Author: Wang Yun and Hu Yanran from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Mental Health Center

Funded by Shanghai Science and Technology Commission's Science Popularization Project

(Project No.: 20DZ2311100)