If you routinely experience pelvic pain and you’ve had that pain for more than six months, you are likely to receive the diagnosis of chronic pelvic pain.
Chronic pelvic pain can have a variety of causes and treatments. One of those treatments is hysterectomy, a common medical procedure during which we remove the uterus and, in some cases, the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and/or cervix.
At Virtuosa GYN in San Antonio, Texas, Susan Crockett, MD, and our team are experts at diagnosing the causes of chronic pelvic pain. We specialize in a range of treatments for pelvic pain, including hysterectomy.
If you need a hysterectomy, Dr. Crockett can perform a minimally invasive hysterectomy, which offers many advantages over open surgery.
Read on to learn more about whether hysterectomy might offer a solution for your chronic pelvic pain.
About chronic pelvic pain
Chronic pelvic pain occurs anywhere in your pelvic region. You may feel it all or most of the time, or it may come and go. It may or may not be associated with your menstrual cycle.
You may notice that your pain is triggered by certain activities or situations, such as eating, having sex, urinating, or passing a bowel movement. Or it may occur without any obvious cause.
Pelvic pain may be the result of conditions related to your reproductive system, your gastrointestinal system, or your urinary system. In some women, it is related to sexual or physical abuse.
Treating pain with a hysterectomy
Dr. Crockett and our team primarily treat pelvic pain related to gynecological conditions. We may refer you to other specialists for urinary or gastrointestinal conditions.
Some causes of gynecological pelvic pain include:
- Endometriosis
- Menstrual irregularities
- Ovarian cysts
- Ovulation pain
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Precancer or cancer
- Uterine fibroids
- Uterine prolapse
Treating chronic pelvic pain
If you’re experiencing chronic pelvic pain, Dr. Crockett performs a full evaluation, including an internal exam, a medical history, and any necessary imaging, such as ultrasound.
Once she determines the cause of your pain, she recommends a personalized treatment plan to address the source of your pain. This plan may include medication, hormone replacement therapy, and/or surgical procedures, such as hysterectomy.
If hysterectomy is the right treatment for you, we typically perform minimally invasive laparoscopic hysterectomy using the da Vinci® robotic-assisted surgical system. This system uses state-of-the-art robotic technology to optimize Dr. Crockett’s surgical skills.
Because the minimally invasive surgery with the da Vinci system uses small incisions, rather than large cuts, hysterectomy patients can look forward to smaller scars, less pain, and quicker recuperation time than with open surgery.
Dr. Crockett recommends a hysterectomy only if its benefits, such as reducing or eliminating chronic pelvic pain, outweigh its risks and the changes that it brings about in your body.
For example, having a hysterectomy makes it impossible for you to get pregnant. It brings on menopause in premenopausal women, and it may raise the risk of bone loss, sexual dysfunction, heart disease, and incontinence.
Have your pelvic pain evaluated
Don’t put up with pelvic pain any longer. At Virtuosa GYN, we can evaluate your symptoms and create a treatment plan that meets your needs. To schedule an evaluation, contact us today at our San Antonio, Texas, office.
