Keep Ovaries or Not? 51 yrs old- surgery schedules

I'm having da Vinci robot hysterectomy in 9 days.still can't decide if i should take ovaries or not. I'm 51 and surgeon says I'm going to have menopause soon just take the ovaries now - they are a cancer risk. I don't have ovarian cancer in my family. I also still have regular periods, so feel I am a few yrs away from full menopause. I have read that a recent study showed women who kept their ovaries had a lower risk of heart issues (i have family history of heart problems so this was a red flag..) most importantly I don't want to throw myself into menopause! I have a 5 yr old and can't manage all the crazy things I'm reading about finding the right drugs and the horrible feelings ladies are experiencing. Dr said "I have great creams--you will be fine!!" (How does he know?) my friend had one recently w femaleDr and she kept ovaries. Same age as me. Shes telling. Me to keep them! I want to keep them and go naturally into menopause. Just having to "sell my surgeon" on this--he said he would do what i want.. he just recommends taking them while he's in there. Am I missing something? Help and thanks ladies!!!

My dr recommended taking them also (I'm 45) due to cancer risk. I opted to keep them due to heart benefits that I felt outweighed cancer risk. I took into account the heart heavy family history and factored in the types and ages of onset of cancer history. Discussed with dr just before surgery (had to change op order) and we agreed that if they looked good and healthy, they would stay. Long story short, I still have them.

Thanks! So how do you feel after surgery ? Are you experiencing any symptoms of menopause ?

Even after menopause, your ovaries will continue to produce low levels of estrogen that will help protect your against heart disease, osteoporosis and dementia. Also, not all women go through menopause in their early 50s - some don't hit menopause until their late 50s or later. I'd say if your ovaries are healthy and neither ovarian, endometrial cancer nor endometriosis is a concern, then keep them.

I have a treat for your surgeon (and you yourself, if you're so inclined): an article published this past summer in the medical journal Obstetrics & Gynecology. You can get the complete article here. Tell him to read it - and tell him to leave your ovaries alone.

I will be 49 soon and awaiting my surgery date. My plan is to keep my ovaries and the surgeon has agreed provided there are no issues. So I have my fingers crossed that everything goes well though at the same time I am researching HRT. Best wishes for your upcoming surgery.

I had a TAH on Tuesday and agreed with my dr to keep them unless they did not look good. She suggested I talk to others and research it. She did take one due to adhesion and she said I will be good to go with one. I am 47 and have no family history of cancer.

I did everything to hold onto them before surgery. I told my OBGYN and Oncologist I do not want them removed. They were in total agreement. My Oncologist even said "you can tie my hands back" We also all agreed that only if they saw something would they remove them. I was so scared when I came to....I was afraid to ask if I had my Ovaries. I finally got the words out and asked the nurse that was helping me come out of the Anesthesia and she said "yes, everything looked ok, you still have them" Oh LAWD was that a blessing!

This is GREAT feedback ladies! Thanks - I was thinking that is a good plan to tell him only to take them IF he saw a problem!!!! I will awake like you did - "are they in or out?"!!! Thanks

I had a partial laproscopic/da vinci hysterectomy 1 year ago at age 51. Due to fibroids, had extreme bleeding and removed uterus only. My doctor said if I had no family history and no bad pap results that there was no reason to remove ovaries or cervix.. I was not in menopause. This was the best thing I have ever done for myself. For years the fibroid caused severe perioids, pain and bleeding. I needed to have a blood transfusion and would have needed another had I not had the surgery when I did. Post-op was an easy recovery. From 2 wks to 6 wks post op I experienced hot flashes but then they went away. Other than some belly swelling, aches and feeling tired, I would say it was so worth it. My advice is keep ovaries if you can. It will prevent immediate menopause symptoms which can be a lot to deal with on top of recovering from surgery. I will say I have had a hard time not gaining weight and have added about 10 pounds that seems to be beyond my control. Good Luck!

Ladyofage, Where in Bergen County?!?! I just saw that! I am originally from Harrington Park Anyway yes I told them under no condition do I want them out unless they saw something that didn't look good! They were in agreement anyway. But mostly because I am still young. I do have PCOS so I knew it was iffy what they would see when they went in. I had a feeling they would be a little funky lol. The only thing my Doctor said, was when he went in they were large. But that it was normal with PCOS and other than that, they were good to go. You can always have them taken out at a later date if need be and hopefully that will never be the case! That was the only thing on my mind after I woke up from Anesethia. LOL. I just wanted to make sure I still had them! Even when my Doctor came to my Hospital Room the next day to check on me I said "you are SURE you didn't pull those suckers out by mistake, right?" LOL!