Hysterectomy After Birth

This is sometimes referred to a ‘peripartum hysterectomy’.

Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is the most common reason for a hysterectomy after birth. It is performed usually as a life-saving operation in order to stop the bleeding after all other available procedures have been performed.

According to a survey by UKOSS, the UK Obstetric Surveillance System, the incidence of peripartum hysterectomy is 4 in 10,000 births (about 0.04% or 250 women a year in the UK). There is a strong association between hysterectomy and having a caesarean birth, and also between hysterectomy and multiple births. Having had a previous caesarean birth can increase the risk by 10 to 20 fold. The most common reason for having a hysterectomy following birth is because of placental problems such as placenta praevia and placenta accreta. [More information]

Having a hysterectomy following the birth of your baby can be a traumatic event, particularly if you felt that you were not given any choice, or if you had been planning more children. There are various email support groups available (search on 'pph').

Issues of Consent (applicable to England only)

Consent should be given for a hysterectomy operation. However if you are not able to give consent (for example, because you are not conscious), the medical team can still give you medical treatment that they believe is in your best interests. No-one can give consent on your behalf but they can share information with the health team that may be relevant (e.g. if you have declined certain treatments in the past, or have particular beliefs and values). If you are certain that you would not accept a particular treatment, you can refuse it in advance by making a written record of your wishes. This should be precise about treatments which you would not accept so as not to exclude any treatments which would be acceptable.

For more information about consent to treatments in England, see the Department of Health booklet about Consent.