Another look at psychologic complications of hysterectomy

As with any surgical procedure, hysterectomy has associated physiological and psychological complications. While the picture of physiological complications has changed markedly over the past 45 years in response to research findings and medical advances, there seems to have been little change in the perception and treatment of psychological complications. Textbooks in medicine and nursing remain close to the current research when citing physiological complications, their diagnosis and treatment. However, in these same texts, sections concerning psychological complications continue to cite very early studies linking hysterectomy and depression. Current research has failed to support this link between hysterectomy and depression.