to keep or not to keep my ovaries?

I am scheduled for surgery on Feb. 1st. I am 41 years old and have very large fibroids and heavy bleeding causing me to be anemic. Typically it would be suggested that I keep my ovaries, but my Dr. has left that up to me. I thought I had decided to go ahead and have them taken as well, but now that I have done some research I am not sure. I wanted them removed because I have monthly headaches with my periods. I have had them for years and they have gotten worse and worse. I am very into natural health and I feel like I have tried everything. In past years I'd never use aspirin I'd just get through. Now they are too bad and I spend for or five days popping Migraine pills. I have 4 teenagers so I can't afford to be out of it. I really wanted to get out my ovaries as well and just go on a natural hormone replacement hoping to loose the headaches. I was suprised to read, however, taking out the ovaries can increase your risk of heart disease. I have a family history of heart disease. A long one! I am very healthy and have been on top of it, but this concerned me. I have not read why this connection exists. What are some thoughts anyone has about making the decision whether or not to keep the ovaries?

To keep or not to keep the ovaries?

I say keep, but that's just my opinion. I haven't even had this discussion yet with my surgeon, but I plan on sticking firmly to keeping them since I have very bad migraines and cannot take any type of HRT. Unless it's cancer I am going to tell him I want them left. I am only 42 and I have a 2 1/2 yr old, I am not ready for menopause at all.
Best Wishes
alicia

I opted to keep one for the purpose of not entering surgical menopause, and I also have a history of heart disease in my family. The other ovary was pretty scarred up from previous endometriosis and had become severly painful at ovulation time.

So I kept my cervix and one ovary and haven't had any kind of post-op menopause symptoms (which I wouldn't expect since keeping one or both ovaries ususally guards against this).

The doc is hoping to keep my left ovary,so maybe keep one?

My doctor and I talked about them and we are keeping mine. I'm almost 36, but I don't want to go into early menopause, I am hot blooded as it is now! LOL I do have PMS but if I had headaches with it I could see how you would want to have them removed. I do like the suggestion of keeping one just for some hormones, maybe that would help. Just wanted to post what I was doing and why. Best Wishes!

Doesn't HRT prevent early menopause?

No. HRT doesn't prevent menopause, it treats the symptoms - if you're lucky and find one that works well for you. Once the ovaries are removed, you are in surgical menopause regardless of whether or not you choose to (or can) use HRT; the difference is, the right HRTs can make you feel almost as good as before. I say almost because it's just not possible to duplicate exactly what your ovaries do.

I had my ovaries removed with my TVH. I was 46 and perimenopausal at the time. I've been relatively lucky in that I am on an HRT that works pretty well for me, but it took a while and over the years, what works for me has changed some. Also, I have to take a bunch of vitamins and supplements along with the HRT. Doing all that is pretty expensive - I pay about $56 a month (give or take) for my estrogen patches plus at least another $100 a month in vitamins and supplements. My ovaries took care of things for free!

In hindsight, if your ovaries are healthy, I'd keep them as long as possible and hope they keep working after their buddy the uterus is removed.

s,
-Linda

I kept both of mine. My urogyn Dr said it was up to me. I asked my gyn and she said keep at least one. She said that your ovaries produce some hormones for years. The death and morbidity rates show it is better to keep them. My Dr said if they were diseased they would be removed. She said they were too healthy to remove, so she left them. You might have hot flashes after surgery even if you keep them, because it could take your ovaries awhile to wake up after surgery. I was hot natured before surgery and now I get cold alot.

I am having this same conflict myself. I have read that the blood supply is compromised after the surgery so the ovaries stop working after a few years anyway or can never wake up. So my thought was why not take them if they are going to break anyways. However, we have planned to leave one and remove the cyst covered one. I am fairly confidant this is the path I want to take as I prefer not to have hormones if it can be helped.