What should I do?

I am 60 and have a prolapsed uterus pushing my bladder down and "out" and the doctor wants to take out my uterus. I believe she wants to do an LSH. I am going to get a second opinion but my main question is why not take out the cervix and ovaries? At my age I certainly don't need them for anything. I have a lot of studying to do before I commit to this!!. Thanks

I think it's a hard call for many of us to decide what to do about the ovaries especially. I do think that reading and finding out as much as you can will help and of course talk to your doctor, or even several if necessary. I'm 50 but ultimately decided to have my ovaries removed too. I met with my doctor several times and talked over the pros, cons and options. Best wishes as you journey towards your healing!

Hi I'm glad to hear you are getting a second opinion. It's very unusual to have an LSH (or any partial hyst, ie keeping the cervix) when it's being done for prolapse. Prolapse is one situation in which it's almost automatic to have a TVH (total vaginal hyst), unless the DR has determined that there is not enough room, which *may* happen in women who have never delivered vaginally.

The ovaries are another matter. Why would you want to remove them now? I am assuming that you are already postmenopausal; however, the ovaries still continue to trickle out small amounts of helpful hormones long past menopause, which you would be missing out on should you remove them. Many women who are postmenopausal are shocked to find that they "go through menopause again" after the ovaries are removed, and may need to consider HRT at that point - and it's awfully expensive to replace what your ovaries are giving you for free! The exception might be if you are concerned because of a family history of ovarian cancer.

It sounds like you've got time to do your homework and make your decision. I'd encourage you to ask lots of questions and not agree to anything until you feel 100% comfortable with the answers you are getting.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

s,
-Linda

your ovaries continue to provide you with small amounts of beneficial hormones even after menopause so you might want to think about keeping them. do lots of reading and research on that before making a decision about removing them.
i had the lsh and had a very easy recovery but i believe if you have prolapse, your cervix is removed along with the uterus. if thats right, you would have a choice of a couple different types (tvh, tah, tlh, etc). good luck...do lots of research!

Oh Boy! It seems that I DO have a lot of studying to do! First on the list is to figure out all the different acronyms and remember what each surgery does. That is very helpful info regarding the ovaries and hormones. It makes sense and I certainly don't want the hot flashes to come raging back!! Thanks!

for seeking a second opinion!

Here is a link to the different acronyms for you!

Abbreviations

You can also read the specifics on the various types of hysterectomies here:

Hysterectomy Options

I would also suggest making a list of all of your questions and concerns to take with you to all of your doctor's appointments!

Take care!

I am so glad I found HysterSisters! I felt like a cork floating in the middle of the ocean. Now I have new found friends that understand. Thank you so much. I am still trying to navigate around but I learn more each day about the web site and I have learned more than I ever did about hysterectomy's in just 2 days from HysterSisters!