Ovaries - Keep or Remove?

I am 46 - scheduled for TAH on 6/2. Does anyone have any thoughts about whether I should keep my ovaries or have them removed. Doctors seem noncommital to making a recommendation.
Thanks!

Try doing a search on "keeping ovaries"...you should find some helpful info there.

I'm 37 so dr. said he'd leave them as long as they looked good-plus my hyst did not stem from any problems with my ovaries.

I think if you're not peri-menopausal yet, and there are no potential problems with your ovaries, many women opt to keep them. Good luck with your search, and i'm sure you'll be getting replies on this one soon!

As long as the ovaries are healthy, and you aren't at risk for ovarian cancer, most women these days opt to keep them. A friend of mine, also age 46 kept her's during a recent TVH and her doctor agreed with her decision.

Hi,

Im 40 and opted to keep mine. As long as their
not deseased, you should consider it. I've heard
HRt can be expensive, and sometimes it's hard
to find what works for you and the right doses.
Good luck in your decision.

Penny
TAH
5/7/03

I didn't know whether or not I could keep my ovaries when I went into surgery, and was relieved when they said they were able to keep both of them. I'm 44 and haven't started perimenopause at all -- in fact my sister is 52 and is just starting to have symptoms now.

Some women have great experiences with HRT, some have difficulty, so it's a coin toss as to whether or not an individual woman will be successful with HRT or how much trouble it'll be to get balanced. With natural menopause, the ovaries stop functioning slowly -- with surgical menopause, it's a sudden change.

My feeling is always, natural is better, so if the ovaries are healthy and you're not at risk for ovarian cancer, why risk potential difficulty?

I'm 45 and had been in peri-menopause for years. I decided to let both of my ovaries go since they weren't doing much for me anyway. I also wanted HRT so I didn't want to risk developing problems with them later. I'm not the perfect candidate for HRT but my DR is willing to work with me so that's how I'm doing it.

I was on supplemental estrogen when they discovered my problems. I stopped taking estrogen for three months prior to my surgery and I was suffering! In my pre-op exam I asked about HRT and my DR said, "Don't worry. There are lots of options and we'll keep working with you until you feel like you do now." I replied, "I hope not! I feel like crud now!"

I'm on the patch now. There are some issues that still need to be smoothed out but I absolutely feel BETTER than I did prior to my surgery.

I'm 48, and had been perimenopausal for the past three years, so I opted to have them removed, so I could start HRT. I was already having the hot flashes and night sweats, and mood swings, and didn't want them any more !
...Sue...