Is it possible to have the uterus removed immediately after delivery?

H.

It is possible to do a hysterectomy at any time, including immediately after delivery, but they are not done electively at this time. A hysterectomy immediately after giving birth is reserved for life-threatening situations, and even then only after more conservative measures have failed. Most commonly this is done to control massive hemorrhage (bleeding) that otherwise may lead to death. The typical reasons for such bleeding are a placenta previa or a placenta that doesn't detach properly from the uterus after birth. Occasionally, a hysterectomy is planned at the time of a scheduled cesarean section; for instance, if a women has been diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer during her pregnancy.

Because the risks of bleeding and infection are much greater with a post-delivery hysterectomy, they are not done for anything less than the above reasons. They are not done just because a woman has a prolapsed (dropped) uterus or fibroids, or because she is finished having children. (In fact, in the United States we no longer do hysterectomies just to provide sterilization.) If a woman needs a hysterectomy for a medical reason, it is scheduled for several weeks or months after the delivery.