Menopause brought forward after hyster but keeping ovaries?

I have recently read that if you have a hysterectomy but keep your ovaries, you will still be menopausal within two years of the op. I find this a bit hard to believe! Does anyone know the truth of the matter? Does hysterectomy, but keeping the ovaries, speed up the onset of menopause?

hmm I have never heard of that,.,

I may be simple minded but I would think not, because it's your ovaries that make the hormones. They are still doing their job, it was the uterus' job to react to the hormones and house the fertilized egg/baby.
Another reason I believe it would have no effect on menopause is because I had my tubes cut & tied back in '91, so the 'direct physical line' was severed. Yet my ovaries continued to produce hormones and my uterus still did its thing, along with the rest of my body's reactions. So my ovaries did not 'know' the route to the uterus was cut, it had no way of knowing whether it was still there or not, and it has no way of knowing that it is not there today...I suspect them to go merrily on doing their thing just as before. Plus, I would think that my gyno would have at least mentioned that while we were discussing all my different possiblities, and she went into great depth over everything.
So I vote no, having your uterus removed should not hurl you into earlier menopause.

I am five days post-op TAH for fibroids. Kept ovaries at the last possible moment. The doctor was just about to mark my abdomen "yes" and wheel me into the operating room when I suddenly changed my mind. I had not had any narcotics yet. One reason I was going to take them was because I have read that they may fail following a hysterectomy and my doctor confirmed this. One website I saw quoted 50% of women within 3 years of hyst. But I became really concerned that HRT would be difficult to get right and if my ovaries were pretty and healthy then I'd see how long they would keep working for me. I just turned 44 and am hoping they'll keep up the good work for the next ten years or so. Either way, I'm happy with my last minute decision to keep them. Oh, and when I scheduled the hyst I was going to keep ovaries. Then called a few weeks later and asked to take them. So my first thought and choice was to keep them and I ended up going with that original, gut feeling. But yes, there is definitely a chance they will fail. I believe the reasons aren't totally understood but one reason may be compromised blood supply to the ovaries following hyst.

Ok,
I did read somewhere that, just like the bowels, they may shut down from the trauma for a bit, and may take a bit to function normally again...(longer than the few days for bowels. I have to say that mine functioned quite normally within a month afterward. I had my TAH on 5/5( period just before) and 2-3 wks afterward, I know I was ovulating due to the same old symptoms...if I still had my uterus, I know I'd be bleeding this week.
Now, it's true that I'd had a tubal ligation 17yrs ago and that's too long for me to remember if that trauma of the tubes being cut & cauterized made them temporarily stop functioning.
I went into surgery with the understanding that if they still looked healthy, then they stay...but if things were not good, take them. I'd sooner avoid HRT at all costs if possible.
I suppose all medical scenarios are possible.

Onwards

Well, I'm just over 3 years post-op and my ovaries are still going strong, bless them!

As I understand it, the ovaries may fail approximately 5 years earlier than they would have done had one not had a hysterectomy. But who knows when that would have been?

I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that I know of a number of ladies who are 10+ years post-op and their ovaries are still doing their job. Obviously, everyone is different and I think we just need to hope for the best and stay optimistic!

Hi, I still have my overies and I have been getting hot flashes at night. I had my LAVH June 2007. MY Dr. said that sometimes your ovaries go into shock and does not function at 100%.

Thank you, ladies, for your answers. I think I am going to have to just wait and see. Judging by the ovulation pains I am getting this month, it seems they are still working fine at present! I'm sure they've got another ten years left in them yet!! lol

I would take that statistic with a grain of salt, it all depends on the average age of the woman having surgery. I am 52 years old and if I could get two more years I will be happy. (Especially now that I won't have another stinkin' period.) The range for menopause is pretty wide so with or without a hysterectomy anyone in that age group might have two more years of functioning ovaries.