by Sheth Shirish S
The safety and popularization of the Vaginal Hysterectomy operation has been achieved by the longstanding work of several gynecologists and Dr. Shirish S Sheth, the world renowned expert on vaginal hysterectomy and the editor of the present book. It is time to consider hysterectomy either vaginal or abdominal as potentially a life-saving as well as a symptom removing operation and hence the place of prophylactic oophorectomy and adequate hormone replacement is so important. The fact that 4% of women die of uterine, cervical or ovarian cancer and that this risk is removed by the appropriate surgery should not be overlooked. We must be aware that a well-performed hysterectomy, vaginal or abdominal, performed by a skilled surgeon is not only a life-enhancing operation, but it can also be a life-saving procedure by reducing the chance of developing genital cancer and by allowing unopposed estrogens to lower the incidents of osteoporosis, heart attacks, cardiac deaths and depression in these women. A Gynecologist is frequently recognized in terms of his or her level of expertise in a particular type of hysterectomy—the one using a laparoscope is considered the most up-to-date and those performing it robotically are believed to have better surgical skills than others; in reality, this is far from true in most of the cases. Abnormal uterine bleeding without pelvic pathology (formerly labeled as dysfunctional uterine bleeding), adenomyosis, and fibroids form more than 75% of the indications for hysterectomy performed for non-prolapsed uteri, and in more than 80-90% of these hysterectomies, vaginal hysterectomy is the best option for a woman. To achieve this, at least one senior gynecologist in the gynecology department of every hospital should regularly perform vaginal hysterectomy without laparoscopic assistance, in all those cases where there is no contraindication for the same. The present book is the second edition of Vaginal Hysterectomy, aimed at helping doctors and public understand the benefits of surgery rather than consider it as a last chance, last option procedure. The book explains in great detail each and every aspect of the vaginal hysterectomy right from its history, indications and contraindications, outcomes, complications, surgical considerations and so on.