Hello, Dopers. I am normally a lurker around here, but I can’t sleep tonight and I felt like starting a lady-bits discussion with someone.
I’ve got an appointment tomorrow to discuss having a hysterectomy with my ob/gyn. I have endometriosis and the horrible, unbearable periods that come with it. It’s pretty much the worst thing ever. I got on Depo Provera when I was 18 and it was a miracle, and I’ve stayed on it pretty faithfully since then. I would be happy to keep using it until menopause. Unfortunately, there’s that whole bone loss problem. The docs don’t really want me to take it any more, but they don’t have a better solution than a hysterectomy, so I’m going to discuss it with them. I think it’s a good and permanent solution that would greatly simplify my life. I’ve been reading up on it, and it seems that in some cases women wind up with urinary incontinence. I can’t find any other deal-breaking negative consequences, but I thought I’d throw the question out there. Are there any serious potential side effects of having a hysterectomy (but leaving the ovaries intact) at a fairly young age?
Well, there’s the whole issue of not being able to get pregnant and give birth. Ever, unless we manage to clone body parts. Some women consider this a huge drawback. I considered it a huge relief.
I’ve heard of laser ablation of the uterine lining as an option, but I’m not sure if it’s a good solution for your particular case. Again, this treatment will totally prevent pregnancy.
Preventing pregnancy is a bonus, not a drawback. In fact, it will be a huge weight off my shoulders. I would go for the ablation, but I’ve read that in many cases the stuff grows back quickly and you wind up doing it over and over. If they’re going to cut me open, I’d rather just have it all out and done with.
During our last conversation the doc mentioned that once in a while the ovaries were so entangled with the endometriosis that they had to remove those too. I’d hate that, because I don’t want to be on hormone replacement for the rest of my life. But I’ve been on Depo for many years, and hopefully it has prevented the worst of it from building up.
Ugh, that sounds so gross. shudder
I guess what I’m really concerned about is, would this increase my risk for any types of cancer, heart attack, stroke, etc. Will it make me more likely to develop osteoporosis? If I’m keeping both ovaries I’m want to assume no, but you never know. I am not a doctor.
Best thing ever, according to my mother. Of course, she had it done much later in life than you.
With regard to the ovaries, perhaps it might be worth discussing egg extraction and freezing, so you can use a surrogate mother should you desire a child in the future.
I’m not a doctor, either. I’ve had a hysterectomy (and the ovaries were evicted, too), and I considered the lack of reproductive opportunities to be a bonus for me, but some women do experience regret, and even feel that they are not “real” women any more.
Many issues (such as early menopause) aren’t linked to the uterus: they’re linked to the ovaries. A hysterectomy which leaves the ovaries in place (I believe those are called “partial hysterectomies”) will not have those consequencies. Discuss both cases with the doctor.
I just got back from the doc, and she says there’s really no serious risks other than regular surgery risks. Even the potential incontinence thing only applies to women over 40, so as long as they leave my ovaries everything will be just peachy. I’m 26 and she doesn’t want me having early menopause, and I don’t want it either. My main concern is how long I’m going to have to be off work (6 weeks minimum) but that’s an issue for HR. Thanks guys!
The only possible side effect I haven’t heard mentioned here is the possibility of sexual dysfunction. It’s somewhat controversial, but some women claim they no longer get a sexual response post-hysterectomy which may be psychological or may be some sort of nerve damage. Or both.
Likewise, there’s the small possibility that Something Goes Wrong and you wind up with a surgical complication. On the other hand you’re already looking at side effects and problems from your current, non-surgically treated (yet) situation so it may well be the risks of surgery are less likely that some of the risks/long term effects you’re currently facing.
Good luck, however you decide. Post-surgery please be sure you give yourself ample time to recover fully.
ETA: I had an aunt who spontaneously went through menopause at 26. No, you don’t want that.
I read in a few places that sexual pleasure was diminished for some women, but I forgot to ask her about that. It wouldn’t stop me from having it done, so it’s not that important. I’m going back for a bone density test in 3 weeks, to see if I can squeak out another year on the Depo, so I’ll ask her then. She also suggested switching to a Mirena, which is known to stop periods about 50% of the time and might buy me another five years. I’m kind of leaning toward having the hysterectomy, though. It’s an inevitability, and right now I’ve got great insurance and a great vet who will board my dogs while I’m hospitalized, and who knows if I might still have that in 5 years or not?
Hi, starwarsfreek42. I’ve lurked on this board for a long time, and created an account after reading your OP. Darn you!
I don’t know whether this will help you or not, but this is my experience with endometriosis and hysterectomy. If you’d like further info on any aspect, please let me know:
The pain caused by endometriosis was excruciating, starting when I was about sixteen. In my early twenties, I went to my doctor for advice about “painful periods”, and spent the next few years on and off Depo/Lupron. It was a battle in itself just to get my insurance to cover the cost of the injections.
Eventually my ob/gyn performed a laparoscopy. She confirmed that I had endometriosis, and removed much of the scar tissue. This was unfortunately only a temporary fix. A few more years passed, and the pain became so unbearable that I begged for a hysterectomy, only to be told that no doctor would perform one due to my age and the fact that I’d not yet had any children.
I am in my late thirties now. About three years ago, I finally had a hysterectomy. After recovering from the pain of the surgery itself, I realized that the abdominal pain that had plagued me for so many years had nearly disappeared. I also had to fight the urge to dance crazily around a bonfire made from my remaining feminine products.
I can confirm that a hysterectomy can cause changes in sexual response. In my case, the ovaries were not removed but my cervix was. It’s possible that this may be the cause. I’d rather not post the specifics of this on the board though, heh. However, I will add that I feel that this side effect is a very small price to have paid in exchange for the benefits of the surgery. (I probably need to add a gigantic “YMMV” here.)
Anyway, whatever you decide to do, I wish you the best of luck.
Thanks for the info Katt, and I’m glad you finally got your surgery. I am lucky to have found a doc willing to do it for me while I’m still under 30. I had awful, painful, nightmare periods with scary heavy bleeding from an early age, and for a long time I thought I was just a sissy and that everybody else had the same problem but they weren’t wimps and they could deal with it. Imagine my surprise when I realized that everybody didn’t wish they would die once a month! I’m still kind of on the fence. It is major surgery after all and, and I’m worried about missing all that work. On the other hand, the rewards will be glorious and permanent, and I’ll never have to worry about it again. Since there don’t appear to be any serious long-term side effects, and since it’s pretty much an inevitability (I can’t keep using Depo until menopause, obviously) I don’t feel like I get anywhere by putting it off for much longer.
Of course, I may be overlooking some serious downside. If anybody’s got one I’ll be glad to take it into consideration.
It is great that you are doing your research before undergoing a hysterectomy. Have you come across the information on the HERS Foundation’s website? I would suggest viewing the Female Anatomy video to learn more about the functions of the female organs and the after effects of removing them: Female Anatomy: The Functions of the Female Organs – HERS Foundation
Will doctors do hysterectomies (but leave the ovaries there) just because you ask them to? I don’t want to get sterilized after this baby is born, but if we have a second, I want to make sure there are never any more. Tubal ligation has a bit too high of a failure rate for my liking. I would want to be certain.
Generally speaking, no. You have to have a reason, they don’t do elective hysterectomies on people who just want them. I’ve been praying for one since I was about 16, and never found anybody who thought I was suffering enough to justify it until now. Maybe it’s because they realize I might have done permanent damage to my bones over it, at this point. But, I don’t have kids, either. So you may have a little more sway with them than I did.
See, this video is very contradictory to all the other stuff I have read and most of what my doctor told me yesterday. “Most women report a total loss of sexual sensation?” Doubtful. Urinary incontinence, loss of ovarian function, compression of the spine, joint pain, personality change? Removal of the uterus causes loss of sensation in the nipples? That doesn’t make any sense at all. The uterus doesn’t produce any hormones itself, and it’s not connected to the nipples. I’m not arguing, because I’m not a doctor. But that video strikes me as really alarmist and implausible.
It is understandable that most women no longer experience sexual sensation post hysterectomy because the uterus is a sex organ. As stated by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in their 2008 Patient Education Pamphlet, “Some women notice a change in their sexual response after a hysterectomy. Because the uterus has been removed, uterine contractions that may have been felt during orgasm will no longer occur”. Of course, if a women never experienced uterine orgasm, she cannot lose it. Sensation in the nipples is lost because the nerve pathway to the uterus continues up the spine and to the nipples, and it is severed during hysterectomy.
This video was approved for accuracy by three gynecologists, a medical school’s Gross Anatomy professor, and two lawyers.
Screw that question, I want to know who all these women are that have been having vaginal sex and get the sensations in their nipples? WTF have I been missing out on here!?
