“Partial hysterectomy” is one of those phrases that isn’t very specific. It’s not always clear what the term means. So, most doctors try to avoid using it. 

But when people speak of a partial hysterectomy, the scientific term for what they’re describing is usually a supracervical hysterectomy. That’s a procedure in which the bulk of the uterus is surgically removed, but the cervix is left behind.

So, why might you need...