REMOVAL OF OVARIES AND FALLOPIAN TUBES

[jan5242]

I am 52, and due to have my ovaries and fallopian tubes removed by keyhole surgery as precautionary measure to avoid ovarian cancer, which my mother developed in her mid fifties.  I have not had a period for nearly 4 years so assume I am already post menopausal.  Will I still  notice any hormonal effects after the removal of my ovaries, or not.  Also will the scars heal over after surgery.  A few of my friends think this is a drastic measure to take as I am fit and well at the moment.  I have never had any surgery so am obviously anxious about quite a few things, but do not wish to go through the same symptoms that my mother went through after developing the disease. Hope somebody can reply to this for me. Thank you.

[marie3B]

My mother was diagnosed at age 51 with very late stage 4 ovca. She died less than 3 months later. This was over 20 yrs ago.  I planned to be extra careful to avoid the same happening to me. I had CA 125s and trans-vag ultra-sounds at least every year and usually every 6 months starting around age 32 or so. At 35 a gyn/oncologist recommended I have a total hysterectomy and oopherectomy based on family history. He said he understood if i sought a second opinion. I got 2 more opinions  this time from female gyns. Both said that he was being too drastic and that I should continue CA125s and ultra-sounds. They also said even if I had the surgery I could still get ovca. I also read a book by a well respected female ob/gyn called No More Hysterectomies that agreed with my second opinions. I did not have the surgery. I began having symptoms several years ago. My CA125s were fine and nothing showed on  the ultra-sounds. IBS was one of the many things I was diagnosed with. I lived with the symptoms being reassured by the tests and my doc that I did not have ovca. Bowel symptoms got worse later and I was sent to participate in an IBS study. I was rejected form the study because they found I was very anemic. Hemoglobin 7. Then I was sent for upper and lower GI series to investgate the anemia. Nothing found. Sent back to gyn to rule out gyn cause for anemia. She did a uterine biopsy twice and that was neg. She told me to keep taking iron. I did. Then last summer my belly swelled up and I was diagnosed by a different gyn with ovca. He put together a great surgical team and got the tumors out as much as possible and I had Chemo for stage 3b ovca. It is true that one can get ovca after surg, but the chances are very minimal compared to not having the ovaries removed. About the scar post-op. I won't lie!  Mine is awful. That is only because of the size of my tumors and the difficulty of the surgery. A normal hysterectomy  scar is not bad. I don't think you are being too drastic but I base this only on my own experience. Others may come along with different opinions based on their situations. I wish you the best of luck and good health whatever you decide. Take care, Marie

[vegas2cr]

Have you been tested for BRCA 1 and 2.. if not I would not in my opinion do that surgery.  I have stage IV and NO ONE ever in my family ever had any kind of cancer... I believe that you have less than a 5% chance even if your Mother suffered with this disease.. I truly believe it is drastic... you could opt for semi annual trans vaginal ultra sounds and even a ca125 which I know is not the most accurate...
What ever you decide Good luck.. Ronni