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Remove or not remove Ovaries
I am 42 years old and I am about to have a hysterectomy. I am trying to find out the pros and cons to having my ovaries removed during this procedure. I need to make a decision, but I don't know what the right decision is.
I would suggest reading the links old_before_my_time gave you because you can be 100% sure your Dr. will NOT tell you everything...if they have not personally had their uterus and ovaries removed they are just going by text book not real life experience which is most likely why you are in these forums to hear from real women...Yes, some do go on to be ine...but they are the lucky ones and not matter what even if things are fine for a while...they have severed alot of ligaments, nerves and blood supply..I asked my Dr. ALL the right questions and did not get the reality of what I would be dealing with for the rest of my life...I was just 38 by one month...and it is true although the ovaries slow in production they absolutely continue to give some hormones through out our lives this is proven in medical research...this surgery is quick and easy money surgery for dr.'s I am not saying all are doing this but they yank our female organs a whole lot quicker then they would ever do that to a man...having now spoken with 1,000's of women one thing I have noticed...if you have intense periods in regards to mood you will most likely have a very hard time with the hormone hell...and yes, it does age your skin horrible...I still have to have surgeries and now my skin is so thin it bruises and tears like a 80 year old and I am not even 50 yet...so what does that mean will happen by the time I reach 80...I don't dwell on this stuff and live my life fully but this is a SERIOUS surgery and the Dr.'s are just NOT honest in the reality of what truly happens when our female organs are taken...PLEASE do your homework! You can always change your mind! My mother was told she would have to have a hysterectomy because of fibroids and bleeding to the point of being anemic...the dr was really mad when she said no thank you...and he told her you will be back for that hysterectomy..well she didn't and is now through menopause and is doing a whole lot better then me! there are options make sure you know all of them and make your decision based on the true reality of women's experiences not on what a dr. who is going to get a easy surgery...if you have pain they can sever the nerves and preserve the uterus...if you have endometriosis..well any dr. saying hysterectomy is a cure is not current on his/her research on endometriosis...fibroids do shrink...something in your body is out of balance and taking the female organs which are a huge part of our complete endocrine system will have major consequences...maybe not today maybe not in 6 years...but it will happen...I am 11 years in and my thyroid is hypo now, my adrenals barely function...and well...I have no ovaries...that is 3 major players in the endocrine system...my system has aged horrible because women need estrogen for every cell in the body take those away things will change...if you are lucky you will be ok forever...but you don't know and you could end up like so many of us who have to fight like crazy to be well...balancing a broken endocrine system is a LOT of work and it's never quite right and it's expensive...good luck!
I am 48 and had a hysterectomy last June. I chose to keep my ovaries as my doctor suggested it helps with hormones. It is a personal choice, but ask your doctor the pros and cons of both choices. They should be able to walk you through both decisions. I am glad I chose to keep mine. I am on no hormones and feel much better about that
Sorry to hear you're planning on having a hysterectomy. I had one 9 years ago at age 49 - absolutely the WORST thing that has ever happened to me. The hormone HELL alone has been life-shattering. I aged so fast it was shocking. By 4 months post-op, I had lost most of my hair and it has never stopped falling out, lost a lot of skin collagen, subcutaneous fat, and muscle mass. I even developed sections of gray hair (had no gray before surgery). Ipurr made a good point in that HRT cannot make up for what was lost (if ovaries are removed or fail due to the loss of blood flow after hysterectomy) PLUS you have to pay for HRT. Our ovaries never stop producing hormones. Sure, estrogen falls after menopause but the ovaries continue producing quite a bit of testosterone that can be converted into estrogen as our body needs. There are numerous studies that show the long-term harm of ovary removal or post-hysterectomy ovarian failure. Do a web search for "bilateral oophorectomy long-term health. Or go to overy dot org and pay particular attention to the link that shows 400+ citations.
The removal of the uterus can cause some nasty problems in the long-term too. The severing of those four sets of ligaments does a number on the figure (you should be able to tell in the figures of most women who had a hysterectomy years ago). The bladder and bowel are displaced after their "place holder" uterus is removed. This can cause bladder and bowel problems including incontinence. There is no good support for the vagina either so it can prolapse. Many women report loss of libido and sexual dysfunction. My sex life was destroyed. Thankfully, my vagina was not shortened too much so I can have sex but it is much less satisfying - no more uterine orgasms and when I can climax it is usually through foreplay, rarely during intercourse. Breast sensation is gone too due to severed nerves. This Medscape set of articles on the long-term effects of hysterectomy explains some of this but you may have to register to read further - http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/805517.
Hysterectomy is rarely necessary as most conditions have other options but doctors are not always forthcoming about those options. Best of luck to you in making this life-altering decision.
The removal of the uterus can cause some nasty problems in the long-term too. The severing of those four sets of ligaments does a number on the figure (you should be able to tell in the figures of most women who had a hysterectomy years ago). The bladder and bowel are displaced after their "place holder" uterus is removed. This can cause bladder and bowel problems including incontinence. There is no good support for the vagina either so it can prolapse. Many women report loss of libido and sexual dysfunction. My sex life was destroyed. Thankfully, my vagina was not shortened too much so I can have sex but it is much less satisfying - no more uterine orgasms and when I can climax it is usually through foreplay, rarely during intercourse. Breast sensation is gone too due to severed nerves. This Medscape set of articles on the long-term effects of hysterectomy explains some of this but you may have to register to read further - http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/805517.
Hysterectomy is rarely necessary as most conditions have other options but doctors are not always forthcoming about those options. Best of luck to you in making this life-altering decision.
if your ovaries are healthy you should keep them! I too had a complete hysterectomy open abdomen, uterus, cervix and ovaries all taken...for me..it was a very bad decision...
I did not gain weight either...but the hormone hell I was thrown into was life altering even though my ovaries were disease ridden with endometriosis they worked MUCH better then any patch can...and they did it for free where now I have to pay for what my body did for free..and they do not work that great...I have tried many different types of hrt through the last 11 years since I had my hysterectomy with bso at 38...I deal with pelvic organ prolapse because when they take the organs they cut ligaments weakening the structure of the pelvis....my sex life went from good to no more orgasms for years..I had uterine contractions with my orgasms..no uterus that was gone as well as the nerves cut to remove my organs it took years before I was finally able to have a baby "o" so for me...if I could have a do over I would have NOT had the hysterectomy...granted it did not cure the endometriosis as I was led to believe it would so maybe if it had I would have felt differently but all it did was make my life much harder...but my thoughts is keep them! Personally keep everything! I don't know why you're having your uterus cut out but a second or third opinion is always a worthwhile thing too...this is life changing for MANY women and not in a good way...unfortunately you won't know until it's too late...the women who are happy with theirs I am happy for them..but those of us who suffer every day because of the decision to have a hysterectomy would love nothing more then a "do over" Good luck on your decision and what ever you decide just know you will get through it...I am not trying to scare you but just inform you and I hope this helps you with your decision no matter which way you decide I wish you well!
I did not gain weight either...but the hormone hell I was thrown into was life altering even though my ovaries were disease ridden with endometriosis they worked MUCH better then any patch can...and they did it for free where now I have to pay for what my body did for free..and they do not work that great...I have tried many different types of hrt through the last 11 years since I had my hysterectomy with bso at 38...I deal with pelvic organ prolapse because when they take the organs they cut ligaments weakening the structure of the pelvis....my sex life went from good to no more orgasms for years..I had uterine contractions with my orgasms..no uterus that was gone as well as the nerves cut to remove my organs it took years before I was finally able to have a baby "o" so for me...if I could have a do over I would have NOT had the hysterectomy...granted it did not cure the endometriosis as I was led to believe it would so maybe if it had I would have felt differently but all it did was make my life much harder...but my thoughts is keep them! Personally keep everything! I don't know why you're having your uterus cut out but a second or third opinion is always a worthwhile thing too...this is life changing for MANY women and not in a good way...unfortunately you won't know until it's too late...the women who are happy with theirs I am happy for them..but those of us who suffer every day because of the decision to have a hysterectomy would love nothing more then a "do over" Good luck on your decision and what ever you decide just know you will get through it...I am not trying to scare you but just inform you and I hope this helps you with your decision no matter which way you decide I wish you well!
You will find out that not everyone has the same results after a hysterectomy.
My personal experience with having one done at the age of 41 was the best decision I ever made....I had the full hysterectomy so I was put on the patch the after the hysterectomy. I will say that the remaining ovary I had prior to the surgery was no longer alive...
I had it done laparoscopic. I went in at 7:30am and home by 12 noon. I was originally going back to work after 1 week, however, I went back after 2 due to my son being in an accident (he needed help, broke his pelvis). .
For me I did not, nor do I have any emotional issues or weight issues (maybe underweight), but I do watch what I eat. I still have energy, GREAT SEX LIFE, and still work full time. I don't have any kids at home, so that could be the reason for the increased sex life..lol...
Just make sure you ask ALL the questions...I don't regret the choice as some on here do.
My personal experience with having one done at the age of 41 was the best decision I ever made....I had the full hysterectomy so I was put on the patch the after the hysterectomy. I will say that the remaining ovary I had prior to the surgery was no longer alive...
I had it done laparoscopic. I went in at 7:30am and home by 12 noon. I was originally going back to work after 1 week, however, I went back after 2 due to my son being in an accident (he needed help, broke his pelvis). .
For me I did not, nor do I have any emotional issues or weight issues (maybe underweight), but I do watch what I eat. I still have energy, GREAT SEX LIFE, and still work full time. I don't have any kids at home, so that could be the reason for the increased sex life..lol...
Just make sure you ask ALL the questions...I don't regret the choice as some on here do.
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