‘I wasn’t aware that I had two uteruses’

Gurpreet*, a 56-year-old woman from Gurugram, who had her menopause four years back, was diagnosed with two uteruses when she consulted a doctor due to post-menopausal bleeding on 8 May. 

The condition Gurpreet has is called uterine didelphys or double uterus, which is a rare congenital abnormality. It is developed before birth in the mother’s womb.

Gurpreet stated, “It was my daughter’s wedding a week before when I felt changes in my body just like that experienced in pre-menstruation days. I thought it might be because of the overexertion.”

But as she started to bleed she was convinced that this isn’t something normal and immediately sought medical help. 

Upon undergoing an ultrasound at CK Birla Hospital, it was found that Gurpreet has two uteruses, which caused the bleeding. The condition wasn’t identified or talked about when she had her pregnancies.

Dr Aruna Kalra, Gynaecologist, CK Birla Hospital told Patriot that the patient had a history of pregnancy-related complications due to this condition and lost her first child after preterm labour.”

She further elaborated, “The pregnancy was in a smaller, less developed uterus which could not provide space and nutrition to the developing foetus and, due to a weak uterus (womb), she had an intrauterine fetal death, which is a very common complication with uterine abnormalities.”

Fortunately, the second and third pregnancies of Gurpreet were in the more developed left uterus, which lasted for a complete nine months.

“I don’t know whether the previous doctors couldn’t identify it, or they thought it wasn’t necessary to inform me. I wasn’t aware that I had two uteruses”, Gurpreet added.

Post-menopausal bleeding is unusual and if left untreated can lead to cancer. “In my case, the growth was benign. But I decided to go on with the surgery, because for me, the organ is not that significant. It was a preventive measure also”, explained Gurpreet.

She complied with the doctor’s advice, which was to remove both the uterus as there might be a possibility that the other uterus could be cancerous.

A laparoscopic hysterectomy was advised to remove the uterus to avoid further complications. The procedure was minimally invasive in which the uterus was removed using a thin, lighted tube called the laparoscope.

“Our surgical team anticipated challenges during the procedure due to distorted anatomy and previous vertical caesarean sections. However, the treatment was successful, and the patient is recovering well and has no pain or bleeding”, remarked Dr Kalra.

“It was a tough decision, but I took it positively because the problem has to be resolved. If a doctor advises surgery, one should follow it”, said Gurpreet while talking about her decision to opt for the surgery.

It’s been five weeks since the surgery, and Gurpreet is gradually getting better. She does experience slight discomfort around the navel; other than that, she’s feeling better.

*Name changed to protect the identity

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