Hysterectomy vs. Alternatives! HELP!

Hi Everyone,

I really need some advice regarding what I should do: hysterectomy vs. alternative.

I am (almost) 47 years old, happily married with two tween girls. I don’t have any intention of getting pregnant again. My uterus did not heal correctly after my second child was born and the uterus is very week and would probably burst mid-pregnancy should I ever get PG again.

I have three fibroids, one of them rapidly growing ; 9.5cm in January of 2017. The other two were 3.2cm and 4.2cm in January. The big fibroid is a subserous posterior leimyoma.

My monthly bleeding is manageable. Up to a week ago, I didn’t really have any symptoms. A week ago, for about 4 days, it felt like something was bulging into my vaginal area and I felt like I had to pee every two minutes. (This has since gone away.)

My OB is recommending a hysterectomy, but said he could also just remove the fibroids. Getting the entire uterus removed is both frightening and saddening, but I like the fact that I won’t get my period anymore and my risk of uterine cancer and ovarian (fallopian tube) cancer will be gone. My question for y’all is – should I go for the hysterectomy? How long was actual recovery? What are the long-term consequences of getting the entire uterus removed?

I have a really busy summer coming up and I am not sure it will be easy to fit in a hysterectomy. What should I expect if I do it? Are you in the same boat as I, and what did you ultimately decide to do, and how did it go?

Thank you for your help!

Wendie

If you're interested in avoiding a hysterectomy (or myomectomy) due to the risks and downtime, you might ask for a referral to an interventional radiologist to see if you're a candidate for Uterine Artery Embolization aka Uterine Fibroid Embolization. It's an easy, ultra safe, fast recovery procedure that quite effectively shrinks the fibroids over time (generally 6-12 months). Many women on this site, myself included, had great results with it. It's very common and covered by insurance... but since it's not done by a gynecologist, many gyns don't tell their patients about it (since they do not make money off of it).

Nicest thing about UAE/UFE, is that it's only a few days to a week recovery. For me, I felt back to normal in a couple of days. One tiny "incision" - basically a tiny nick in your groin area, and that's it. Super easy and it works! Much less risky than a hysterectomy or myomectomy, and far fewer opportunity for complications.

In any case, if you're unsure about what's best for you, its always a good idea to get a second opinion. Good luck!

Hi wendie - im 57 and never had nor wanted children! Just had abdominal hysterectomy a week ago (mon may 8). I had several fibroids but basically non-symptomatic...meaning no bleeding in between periods. However the last 8-10 years ive had horrendous but regular periods and i have fought desperately to not have a hysterectomy. I just wanted to glide into menopause naturally and expected the fibroids to shrink as the estrogen left my body. However a cancer diagnosis at the end of april changed everything. Of course hindsight is 20/20 eh? I wish i wouldve done this years ago and not had to deal with anemia, heavy bleeding which ruined so many events, and my enlarged belly due to the fibroids. But oh well....here i am on the other side. Im simply blown away by how quickly i am healing, how good i feel, and how well i have been moving around!
To me, it's not the worse thing that could have happened and just knowing the cancer is gone, the periods are gone, and all the hassles are gone is so wonderful to think about!
It's a big decision for you to make. And the reality is the recovery is only a small inconvenience compared to years of menstrual hell!!!
Sending big HUGS

I had UAE to embolize my 9cm intramural fibroid. It shrunk to 50% by the end of the first year. At the 3 year mark it had shrunk by 90%.

UAE/UFE is a process however it's one that works because it restricts blood flow to the uterus and blocks blood flows to the fibroid. It immediately begins to die. All fibroids are treated at once. My bleeding stopped immediately and finally I was able to heal and restore my health.

This is a great stepping stone where often hysterectomy can be avoided. The uterus is far more than a cradle. Even though you don't want more children doesn't mean it does not serve other purposes specific to the aging woman.