Objective: It was aimed to evaluate the vaginal length in patients who underwent total or subtotal hysterectomy and to reveal its effects on the sexual functions of the patients depending on the choice of surgery.
Materials and Methods: 85 patients who were decided to undergo hysterectomy for benign reasons were included in the study. Vaginal lengths of all patients and cervical lengths of patients who underwent subtotal hysterectomy were recorded before and after the operation. In addition, the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire was administered to the patients before and 24 months after the operation, and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire was administered to their spouses.
Results: While there was no significant change in the vaginal length of women who underwent subtotal hysterectomy after the operation (p>0.05), a significant shortening was detected in the total hysterectomy group (p:<0.0001). There was a decrease in the total FSFI scores of the patients after the operation in both groups (p<0.0001). However, the decrease in FSFI scores in the subtotal hysterectomy group was significantly less than that in the total hysterectomy group.
Conclusion: The decreasing FSFI scores of the patients after the operation show that both operations have negative effects on sexual functions. However, due to the vaginal tissue loss seen in the total hysterectomy group, the sexual functions of the patients were more negatively affected than the subtotal hysterectomy group.