Hysterectomy

A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus, usually done by a gynecologist. Hysterectomy may be total or partial. In many cases, surgical removal of the ovaries is performed concurrent with a hysterectomy. The surgery is then called ovariohysterectomy or "total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy" this is the method used in spaying. However, the term "hysterectomy" is often used colloquially yet incorrectly to refer to removal of any parts of the female reproductive system. According to the National Center For Health Statistics there were 617,000 hysterectomies performed in 2004 with the surgical removal of the ovaries performed in 73% of women undergoing hysterectomy. In the United States, 1/3 of women can be expected to have a hysterectomy by age 60. There are 22 million women alive in the United States whose female organs have been surgically removed.

The uterus is a hormone-responsive sex organ that is physically placed to support the bladder and bowel. When only the uterus is removed women are at three times greater risk of cardiovascular disease. Removal of the uterus often interferes with blood flow to the ovaries, so women who undergo hysterectomy reach menopause an average of 3.7 years sooner than the average age of natural menopause. When the ovaries are removed a woman is at a seven times great risk of cardiovascular disease. As with other hormone-producing glands, the endocrine functions of the ovaries cannot be fully replicated by hormone replacement therapy. The ovaries produce dozens of hormones a woman needs throughout her entire life, released directly into the blood stream in a continuous fashion, in response to and as part of the complex endocrine system.

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Related Links:

• Hystersisters.com
• US National Library of Medicine

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