pregnancy after hysterectomy

[katkasp]

I have read that women can infact have an ectopic pregnancy after hysterectomy if the ovaries and fallopian tubes are left intact.  I have also read that many ectopic pregnancys result in an abdominal pregnancy and can result in a live birth.  A recent article posted by the New England Journal of Medicine reported an abdominal pregnancy after hysterectomy though it was terminated at 12 weeks.  Does this open the possibility of having children for women that had to have a hysterectomy?

[mam1981]

To answer your question, yes, and abdominal pregnancy is very much a possibility. However, as the others have said, no doctor worth his salt nor anyone thinking logically will choose this option. The placenta attaches to any organ with a rich blood supply which poses a risk of bleeding to death if it detaches or is disturbed. Also without the protection of the uterus, the fetus is likely to be born severely deformed because it is squeezed against internal organs. Also it may cause infection in your bowels as it is technically an obstruction. Very few viable fetuses have been born following an abdominal preegnancy. Only four survivals have been recorded worldwide. For those which aren' terminated on diagnosis the babies do not survive long after birth due to compression deformities.

[JoyRenee]

You know I did see a woman on Maury once who had an abdominal pregnancy. She was very overweight and I don't think she had a hysterectomy. I have no idea why the baby implanted outside the uterus. But they both lived!

[martikadragoon]

I've only heard of about 2 LIVE abdominal pregnancies. The placenta has to attach to the bladder or other organs. It can cause death.

[Whitneylauren]

There was a thread on here a few weeks ago discussing abdominal pregnancies. Apparently they do and can happen, but are extremely dangerous. A couple people a commented that they had experienced an abdominal pregnancy and had to go into surgery in the first few weeks to abort and clean up all the major damage the baby had caused to all the other organs.

[amberd5191]

An ectopic pregnancy needs to be terminated it is deadly to the mother.

[JoyRenee]

I doubt that is possible. There are a lot of hormonal and chemical reactions that the body goes through in order to ovulate and conceive. Without a uterus you wouldn't have a uterine lining that would thicken up and support a pregnancy. Most women with hyterectomies are considered menopausal and un-reproductive. They usually take medications as well that would prevent ovulation.

But... I've heard strange things before. I guess it could be possible and then the fallopian tube would have to be removed.