Beyond the cuff: a consideration of factors that affect sexual function after benign hysterectomy

Natalie Cohen, Natalie S. Cohen, Young R, Riley Young, Emily Lin, Lin E, Lisa Chao
Current opinion in obstetrics & gynecology · 2024 · vol. 36(4) , pp. 282–286 · doi:10.1097/gco.0000000000000959 · PMID:38934105 · W4400092448
review OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 1 in-corpus citation
View on OpenAlex View on PubMed View at publisher
⚙ AI-generated summary by gemini-2.5-flash-lite, 2026-06-10 ⓘ

This review examines preoperative patient factors, perioperative surgical choices like salpingo-oophorectomy and cuff closure technique, and surgical approach that may impact sexual function after benign hysterectomy.

One-sentence paraphrase of the abstract; not a substitute for reading it. No clinical advice. How this works

Abstract

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Hysterectomy is the most common gynecologic surgical procedure performed on women in the United States. While there are data supporting that hysterectomy for benign indication often does not reduce sexual function and may in fact improve sexual function as fibroids and endometriosis are resected, it remains unclear if there are factors within the perioperative period that affect sexual function in the years following surgery. To date, there is no consensus on what factors can optimize patients' sexual function after hysterectomy. RECENT FINDINGS: We present the current literature that assesses factors which may contribute to sexual function after hysterectomy. Preoperative demographic factors, including increasing age, pelvic pain, and preoperative sexual dysfunction, play a large role in postoperative sexual function. Perioperatively, there is a growing amount of data suggesting that premenopausal salpingo-oophorectomy at the time of hysterectomy may increase the risk of sexual dysfunction after hysterectomy, and no conclusive evidence that subtotal hysterectomy improves sexual function. The route of hysterectomy and technique of cuff closure can impact sexual function after hysterectomy due to the risk of shortening the vaginal length. SUMMARY: There is a lack of high-quality evidence that can provide a consensus on factors to optimize sexual function after hysterectomy. A growing area of research in the excision of endometriosis procedures is the consideration of nerve-sparing surgery. Considering the many variables that exist when counseling a patient on benign hysterectomy and its effects on sexual function, it is critical to understand the current research that exists with regards to these factors.

My notes (saved in your browser only)

Condition tags

endometriosischronic_pelvic_pain

MeSH descriptors

Hysterectomy Hysterectomy Hysterectomy Hysterectomy Hysterectomy Hysterectomy Hysterectomy Hysterectomy Hysterectomy Hysterectomy Hysterectomy Hysterectomy Hysterectomy Hysterectomy Hysterectomy Hysterectomy Hysterectomy Hysterectomy Hysterectomy Hysterectomy

Citation neighborhood (2-hop)

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. Outer rings show 2-hop neighbours — papers reached through the immediate citers/citees. [ collapse to 1-hop ]

References (23)

Cited by (1)

Source provenance

europepmc
last seen: 2026-10-07T06:10:45.703000+00:00
openalex
last seen: 2026-06-04T00:00:01.174412+00:00
pubmed
last seen: 2026-10-07T06:08:11.094788+00:00
License: CC0 · commercial use OK