When we teach students, we teach them about different types of hysterectomy operations. We tell them about total, subtotal, and radical hysterectomies, depending upon the extent of uterine removal.. We tell them about abdominal, vaginal and laparoscopic hysterectomies, depending upon the route of surgery. Some patients are aware of the routes, and even have their own choices. I have heard about laser hysterectomies from some patients, which probably meant laparoscopic hysterectomies, though hardly anybody uses laser for hysterectomies by laparoscopy.
"Doctor, will you be performing normal hysterectomy on me?" one patient asked me one day. I did not think a hysterectomy could be normal by any stretch of imagination.
"What is normal hysterectomy?" I asked.
"Normal... you know..." she said. That explained everything, to her at least.
"Huh?" I said. Either that 'huh' or my facial expression conveyed to her that I had not understood what 'normal' was.
"You know, one that is done from below" she said. She was probably reluctant to call it 'vaginal'. Calling a spade a spade was one thing, and calling the vagina by that name was another.
"That is called 'vaginal', not 'normal'" I said. "Did anyone tell you it was called 'normal'?"
"Well, a delivery from below is called vaginal delivery. So I thought a hysterectomy from below would be normal hysterectomy" she said.
"Ah!" I said. I would have explained to a student that all vaginal deliveries were not 'normal' deliveries. But a woman who had reached the age and stage requiring a hysterectomy did not need that education.
"Doctor, will you be performing normal hysterectomy on me?" one patient asked me one day. I did not think a hysterectomy could be normal by any stretch of imagination.
"What is normal hysterectomy?" I asked.
"Normal... you know..." she said. That explained everything, to her at least.
"Huh?" I said. Either that 'huh' or my facial expression conveyed to her that I had not understood what 'normal' was.
"You know, one that is done from below" she said. She was probably reluctant to call it 'vaginal'. Calling a spade a spade was one thing, and calling the vagina by that name was another.
"That is called 'vaginal', not 'normal'" I said. "Did anyone tell you it was called 'normal'?"
"Well, a delivery from below is called vaginal delivery. So I thought a hysterectomy from below would be normal hysterectomy" she said.
"Ah!" I said. I would have explained to a student that all vaginal deliveries were not 'normal' deliveries. But a woman who had reached the age and stage requiring a hysterectomy did not need that education.
