Hysterectomy

Can a doctor tell if you have had a c-section while performing a vaginal hysterectomy?

[Elaine Brown, MD]

Hi!
It is sometimes possible to guess that someone has had previous surgery because of scar tissue.  If there is a lot of scar tissue around the bladder and cervix, it is a good bet that some one had a c-section. So, I guess the answer is a qualified "yes". If I were doing a hyst and encountered scar tissue around the bladder area, I would probably guess that the patient had had a prior c-section.  
I usually like to ask that question ahead of time though!  Sometimes if there have been several c-sections, I might choose not to do the hysterectomy vaginally, for fear of injuring the bladder due to distortion of the tissues by scarring.
Hope that answers the question!
Dr B