Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Hysterectomy in Nigeria

The uterus is removed. It is the definitive answer to fibroids, heavy bleeding and some cancers, and it ends both periods and the ability to carry a pregnancy. That finality is why the decision deserves more time than the operation does.

Also called: Womb removal, Abdominal hysterectomy, Vaginal hysterectomy

Medically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana, Founder and Chief Executive, Mezo. Last reviewed 3 October 2026. This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Care is decided with you after an examination.

Published price

₦1,080,000

Fixed all-in case rate, abdominal hysterectomy

Two units of blood cross-matched and held are included.

What the price covers

  • Surgeon and assistant fees
  • Anaesthetist and theatre time
  • Two units of blood cross-matched and held
  • Your bed for the expected four to five nights
  • Routine medication while you are admitted
  • Histology on everything removed
  • The post-operative review at six weeks

What it does not cover

  • The first consultation and the tests that confirm you need the operation
  • Treating conditions found during work-up, such as uncontrolled diabetes or an untreated infection
  • Take-home medication after discharge
  • Care for complications needing intensive care or a return to theatre

Related prices

Hysterectomy with removal of both ovaries and tubes

Removing the ovaries brings on menopause immediately, which is a separate decision from the hysterectomy itself.

₦1,215,000

Vaginal hysterectomy

₦945,000

What would change this price

  • Blood transfused beyond the two units already included
  • Severe adhesions from previous surgery or infection, which lengthen the operation
  • Removal of the ovaries, priced separately above
  • A stay longer than the expected four to five nights

Prior authorisation is needed and the desk files it. Plans differ widely on whether hysterectomy for fibroids is covered, so the cash price is confirmed with you either way before anything is booked.

Get a written quoteSee the surgeons

Who this is for

  • Fibroids causing heavy bleeding or pressure in a woman who has completed her family
  • Heavy periods that have not responded to medication, a coil or ablation
  • Adenomyosis causing persistent pain and bleeding
  • Prolapse of the uterus
  • Cancer or pre-cancer of the uterus or cervix

When it is not the right answer

  • Any woman who may still want to carry a pregnancy, where myomectomy is the operation to discuss instead
  • Heavy bleeding that has not yet had a proper trial of medical treatment or a hormonal coil
  • Anyone significantly anaemic, until that is corrected

The pathway, step by step

  1. 1

    Scan and consultation together₦35,000

    Pelvic ultrasound and the consultant appointment in one visit.

  2. 2

    The alternatives, named and priced

    A hormonal coil, ablation, medication and myomectomy are each explained with their cost. A hysterectomy should be a choice between options, not the only one you were offered.

  3. 3

    Bloods, smear and correcting anaemia

    Iron is started first where it is needed, because operating on an anaemic woman is avoidable risk.

  4. 4

    The operation

    Two to three hours under general or spinal anaesthetic.

  5. 5

    Four to five nights in hospital

    Up and walking from day one. Discharged with painkillers and a written plan.

  6. 6

    Review at six weeks, with your histology₦25,000

    Results explained in person, and a conversation about what to expect next.

Recovery, realistically

Days 1 to 5

In hospital. Walking from day one, which is what prevents clots. A catheter for the first day or two.

Week 1 to 2

At home, tired, sore across the wound. No lifting, no driving.

Week 2 to 6

Most women return to desk work between four and six weeks. Some light vaginal bleeding during this time is normal.

Week 6 onwards

Full activity including sex, once the surgeon has reviewed you. Recovery from an abdominal hysterectomy is genuinely six to eight weeks, not two.

Risks you should be told about

  • Bleeding needing transfusion, which is why blood is cross-matched in advance
  • Injury to the bladder, ureter or bowel, uncommon but serious
  • Infection of the wound or the vaginal vault
  • Early menopause if the ovaries are removed, which is why that is a separate decision
  • Clots in the legs or lungs, which early walking is what prevents

Every operation carries risk. A surgeon who lists none is not being straight with you. Yours will go through these with you before you consent.

Questions people ask

Will I go into menopause?

Only if your ovaries are removed. If they are left, they keep working and you will not have periods but you will not go through menopause early either. This is a separate decision from the hysterectomy and should be made deliberately.

Is my cervix removed too?

Usually yes in a total hysterectomy, which is the standard. You will be told which is planned for you, and if the cervix is kept you still need smears.

Could I have a myomectomy instead?

If you may want a pregnancy, that is the operation to discuss. If your family is complete, hysterectomy is definitive and the fibroids cannot come back. Both are explained with their prices before you decide.

How long before I am back to normal?

Six to eight weeks for an abdominal hysterectomy. Anyone promising two weeks is describing a different operation.

Prices shown are Mezo cash prices in naira and were last checked on 3 October 2026. They are what you would be quoted for the standard case described here. Your final quote follows an examination, because the right operation for you may not be this one.