Amy Schumer Had Her Uterus and Appendix Removed. Here's Why.
Excerpt: When Amy Schumer shared her endometriosis surgery, many women asked why she lost her appendix too. Dr. Martin Pakideh explains how endometriosis spreads, when a hysterectomy makes sense and what to ask before surgery.
In this article
Endometriosis doesn't stay in its lane
When a hysterectomy makes sense
Do you lose your ovaries?
How robotic surgery changed this operation
Questions to ask before your surgery
Frequently asked questions
In 2021, comedian Amy Schumer posted from her hospital bed that she'd had a hysterectomy and her appendix removed to treat endometriosis. She said her doctor found 30 spots of endometriosis, and that the disease had spread to her appendix.
Her message to fans was simple: this condition is painful and debilitating, and you don't have to live with it. As a gynecologic surgeon, I couldn't have said it better.
So why would anyone lose their appendix to a gynecologic disease? And why would a woman choose a hysterectomy at all? Let's break it down.
Endometriosis doesn't stay in its lane
Endometriosis is tissue similar to the uterine lining growing outside the uterus. It most often shows up in the pelvis, but it can attach to the bowel, the bladder and, yes, the appendix.
When we operate for endometriosis, the goal is to find and remove disease wherever it's hiding. If the appendix is involved, removing it can be part of a thorough surgery.
When a hysterectomy makes sense
Hysterectomy isn't the first treatment for endometriosis, and it isn't a guaranteed cure. But for the right woman, it can be life-changing. It's most often considered when:
Pain persists despite medication and earlier surgeries
She's finished having children or doesn't want them
She also has adenomyosis, a related condition where the tissue grows into the muscle wall of the uterus
Heavy bleeding is part of the picture
The key is that the uterus isn't the whole problem. A good endometriosis surgery removes the disease outside the uterus too. Taking the uterus while leaving endometriosis on the bowel or pelvic sidewall can leave a woman with the same pain and one less organ.
Do you lose your ovaries?
Not necessarily, and this is the most common question I get. A hysterectomy removes the uterus. Your ovaries make your hormones, and they can often stay.
If your ovaries stay, you won't go into menopause from the surgery. Whether to keep them depends on your age, the extent of your disease and your personal risks. That's a conversation we have before surgery, not a decision made for you in the operating room.
How robotic surgery changed this operation
Not long ago, a hysterectomy often meant a large abdominal incision and a long recovery. Today, many hysterectomies are done through a few small incisions using robotic-assisted surgery.
The robotic system gives me a magnified 3D view and instruments that bend and rotate more than a human wrist. That matters in endometriosis surgery, where disease can sit right next to the bowel, bladder and ureters.
For most patients, that means:
A few small incisions instead of one large one
Less pain and less blood loss
A shorter hospital stay, often home the same day or next morning
A faster return to normal life
At Monroe OBGYN, I've performed [Confirm: number] robotic hysterectomies. Most of my patients are back to light activity within [Confirm: number] weeks. If the word "robot" makes you nervous, read No, the Robot Isn't Doing Your Surgery.
Questions to ask before your surgery
Will you remove endometriosis outside the uterus, or just the uterus?
Will my ovaries stay? Why or why not?
Can this be done robotically or laparoscopically?
How many of these surgeries have you performed?
What does recovery look like for someone like me?
Amy Schumer said she thought the surgery would change her life. For many women with severe endometriosis who are done having children, it does. The right surgery, done by an experienced surgeon, matters.
Considering a hysterectomy for endometriosis or heavy bleeding? Book a consultation at Monroe OBGYN or call (734) 242-2022.
Frequently asked questions
Does a hysterectomy cure endometriosis? Not on its own. It can greatly reduce pain, especially when adenomyosis is involved, but any endometriosis outside the uterus also needs to be removed. Symptoms can still return in some women.
Will I go into menopause after a hysterectomy? Only if your ovaries are removed. If they stay, they keep making hormones, and you'll go through menopause at your natural time.
How long is recovery after a robotic hysterectomy? Many women go home the same day or the next morning and return to light activity within a few weeks. Your recovery depends on your health, the extent of the surgery and the kind of work you do.
Can I keep my uterus and still treat endometriosis? Yes. Many women have the endometriosis removed and keep their uterus, especially if they want children in the future. A hysterectomy is one option, not the only one. Learn more about our approach to pelvic pain.
References
MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Hysterectomy.
About the author: Dr. Martin Pakideh, DO, is a board-certified OB-GYN at Monroe OBGYN specializing in robotic and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, pelvic reconstructive surgery and urinary incontinence treatment. He has trained surgeons from hospitals across Michigan in advanced robotic techniques.
This post is for general education and isn't medical advice. Talk to your own doctor about your situation.
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