February 2014

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