Pregnancy's And Hysterectomy's

Ok let's start at the begining.


pregnancy

pregnancy occurs when an egg is released from the ovary (approx once every 28days and usually about 14 days before your period would begin.) the egg is only viable (ie useful) for approx 24-36 hours, after which it gets re-absorbed by the body.

Sperm enter from the vagina, through the cervix into the uterus and into the fallopian tubes.

The egg travels down the fallopian tube (where it gets fertilised by sperm).

Then it continues it's journey to the uterus, where it will embed itself into the soft uterine lining.

If no egg is fertilised, then after approx 14 days this lining will be shed and you will experience a period. (your period is the shedding of that lining)

hysterectomy

the uterus is shaped like a pear (fruit) but upside down.

The tip of the pointy part of the pear is your cervix.

During a partial hyst the fat part of the pear is removed leaving the cervix in place.

The open end is then carefully closed over leaving a small pocket, but this is a dead end - it has no opening and does not lead anywhere.

If sperm go in from the vagina - they come back out the same way - they can not go anywhere.


If you had a complete hyst the cervix is also removed, the end of the vagina is then carefully closed over leaving a "cuff" of tissue which again is a dead end - there is no passage to anywhere.


The tubes may or may not be removed - depending on your surgeon and the reason for your hyst, although it is most likely that they will be removed.

So now (assuming you still have your ovary/ies) the egg gets released and simply floats off into your abdominal cavity where after approx 24-36 hours it is re-absorbed by the body anyway.

You have sex and your partners sperm simply sits in the dead end pocket/cuff, then runs back out again when you are standing.


There is no entry way for the sperm to get access to the egg.


Now, lets assume 2 very rare cases.


case 1
you had sex a day or so before your hysterectomy.

For whatever reason your surgeon leaves your fallopian tubes in place.

Your surgury happened to be scheduled right around the time you ovulate.

There is a chance that there could be some sperm in the tube, and an even smaller chance that they don't get dislodged by all the shuffling round of your internal bits and bobs.

At this point you have a minute chance of a tubal pregnancy.

The fallopian tube is not stretchy and does not have the right kind of blood supply to nourish a growing foetus.

The tube will rupture and cause life threatening haemorrahging, neccessitating immediate hospitalisation.

This would occur within a very short time after the hysterectomy itself.


case 2
for some reason the scar tissue fails to heal fully, and for some reason this is not noticed at your check up (very very unlikely).

This could result in a very fine tract, which some sperm may find a way through.

Then against all odds in the cavity of your abdomen the sperm may find a randomly floating around egg that has been released by the ovary.

If this happens, the foetus will embed into any soft organ it finds.

This could be the bowel, liver, indeed even the abdominal wall itself.

The whole situation is life threatening.

The baby does not have a protective muscular wall around it.

The organs are not designed to sustain a growing baby.

The placenta may only partially attach, haemorraghing is likely, rupture is likely, death is a very real possibility.


In the rare and extreme case of this happening, medical care would be essential, so that if the slightest suggestion of bleeding internally was noticed, the "mother" could be carefully monitored.

Obviously a c-section would be essential as there is no uterus to contract to push the baby out.

With out a carefully planned c-section and assuming the rest of the pregnancy had continued, then at some point the baby would simply die. There needs to be either uterine contractions or medical intervention to rupture the membrane surrounding the baby and then to expel the baby from the body.

It also follows that part or all of the organ that the placenta attached to may have to be removed.

In a minor case this may mean the baby had attached to the bowel, part of the bowel being removed may neccessitate a colostomy bag.


The placenta grows into which ever organ it attaches and in simple forms is best visualised as a plant growing roots. Those roots can not be removed without damaged to the medium in which they have grown.


If you have reason to think you may be pregnant after a hyst seek medical attention as soon as possible.