Close-up view of the wound during surgery to perform a hysterectomy, the removal of the womb (uterus) through an incision in the abdominal wall. The operation can take different forms: a subtotal hysterectomy involves removing the body of the womb leaving its neck (the cervix) intact; in a total hysterectomy the entire womb is removed. The operation is performed for a number of reasons, including fibroids in the womb, cancer of the cervix or body of the womb, or damage to the organ following a Caesarean section.