If you’re a woman living in the
United States there is a 1 in 3 chance that you will have a hysterectomy by the
time you reach age 60. Many women have hysterectomies as a result of a cancer
diagnosis but most women make the decision to have a hysterectomy to treat
heavy bleeding, fibroids, endometriosis or pelvic inflammatory disease. In the old days doctors just took out everything
– uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes and ovaries. Today women’s health
professionals are able to offer several types of hysterectomies and there are
several different ways they can be performed based on a woman’s individual
medical need.
A hysterectomy in
which the uterus and cervix are removed (Total Hysterectomy) is the most common type of hysterectomy. The medical
community agrees that in cases where hysterectomy is recommended keeping healthy
ovaries will help protect the patient from heart disease and thinning bones. However, there are differing opinions when it comes to the removal of a
healthy cervix. Some in the medical community are firmly against
the removal of a healthy cervix arguing that the cervix is important for sexual
function and that during a cervix-sparring hysterectomy (Supracervical
Hysterectomy) there is less potential risk to a woman’s bladder, rectum and
bowel. But according to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a leader in the cause
of women’s health, “there does not seem to be
much benefit to keeping the cervix” and that a woman who would like to keep her
cervix may experience continued vaginal spotting. Brigham and Women’s makes this
recommendation based on what they describe as three “well-designed studies”
that found no difference in sexual function or
complication associated with the bladder, rectum or bowel and no significant
difference in pain and time to recover. And, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists,
“Choosing to preserve the cervix to reduce adverse
effects of hysterectomy on sexual and urinary function is not supported by data
from prospective randomized trials.” The bottom line . . . The decision to keep/remove the cervix during a hysterectomy should be made after careful consideration of a woman’s risk of developing cervical cancer and is one of those medical situations when you should probably get the opinion of more than one doctor before having surgery.
It’s Heart Month! Not only
is it the favorite month of romantics, it’s also a time when women should
remember how important it is to protect ourselves against heart disease.
In this, the season of LOVE, I hope you make the time to be good to you and
commit to living your best life.
Happy Valentine’s Day and Good
Health!
Terry
“Never give anyone and excuse to say that you’re crazy.”
~Taylor Swift
