Many women in this country deliver their children via C-sections. In fact, this is the most common surgical procedure in the United States. What some women might not know is that a C-section can put them at risk of complications if they have to have a hysterectomy later in life. This is something that could turn a difficult situation into one that is even more serious.
A woman who has one C-section has a 31.1 percent chance of having to have more than one surgery for a hysterectomy. The risk is increases even more for women who had more than one C-section.
This is something of which women of child-bearing age should be aware. While it might not have any impact on women who need medically necessary C-sections, it could be an deciding factor against choosing to have elective C-sections.
There are some ways that women who have C-sections can reduce the risk that they will have a re-surgery risk after a hysterectomy. One of these is to stay at a healthy weight. Obese women are more likely to have complications after hysterectomies. Avoiding smoking is also wise since smoking increases the chance of having post-surgical complications.
For women who have elective C-sections and whose obstetricians don’t provide them with information about this risk, it might be possible to take legal action if you do suffer harm due to the C-section.
Any patient has the right to know what risks come with a procedure. Failing to provide adequate and accurate information about this could spell trouble for the provider due to lack of informed consent.
Source: Yahoo News, “New study links C-sections with hysterectomy complications later in life,” Catherine Thorbecke, accessed Aug. 18, 2017
