Many women experience some kind of ob-gyn surgery in their lifetime. Understanding the basics of ob-gyn surgery is helpful when it could very well be a part of your future. There are three main ob-gyn surgery types: D&C, hysterectomy, and cesarean section.

A D&C stands for dilation & curettage. This ob-gyn surgery is done for two main reasons. If a woman is experiencing irregular periods or if there is vaginal bleeding post menopause, a doctor will normally do an D&C. Also, if a woman was recently pregnant and tissue remains in the uterus after birth, the ob-gyn surgery D&C is required to remove that excess tissue. A D&C is when a woman's cervix is dilated and then the inside lining of the uterus is scraped. It is a very common ob-gyn surgery.

The second type of ob-gyn surgery is a hysterectomy. This is a fairly serious type of ob-gyn surgery. During a hysterectomy the uterus is removed from a woman's body. This is usually done for three main reasons: Uterine prolapse, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids. Many people think hysterectomies are done because of pelvic cancers. In all actuality, hysterectomies due to cancer are only about 10% of this ob-gyn surgery.

The last and possibly most common ob-gyn surgery is a cesarean section. This is when a woman gives birth to a baby through a surgical opening in your stomach/uterus. This type of ob-gyn surgery has become more and more common. Now cesarean sections happen in about one in every four births. Surgeons have changed the incision from vertical to horizontal and now have extremely high success rates. This becomes more and more common because once a woman has a cesarean section, any subsequent babies can be delivered by this ob-gyn surgery as well.

Since ob-gyn surgery deals with the female reproductive system, many woman are scared by the procedures. As time goes on, doctors get more and more practice with each type of surgery. There is nothing to be worried about when undergoing ob-gyn surgery. The D&C, hysterectomy, and cesarean section are all very common ob-gyn surgeries.