Tonsillectomy, appendectomy, lumpectomy make sense. The suffix ‘ectomy‘ denotes surgical removal of the named body part, so these terms give a clear idea of what the procedure entails.

So why is the removal of the uterus called a hysterectomy and not a uterectomy?

The name hysterectomy is rooted in a mental health condition — ‘hysteria‘ — that was once believed to affect women. But we now know this condition doesn’t exist.

Continuing to call this significant operation a hysterectomy both perpetuates misogyny and hampers people’s understanding of what it is.