Wanting to keep ovaries

Hi, this is my first time posting anything here. I'm so glad 'HysterSisters' is here and available to us all who are going thru this epic hysterectomy journey. So 'thank you'.

My question is how can I be sure that provided my ovaries are okay, my surgeon will leave them alone? I've stressed my want and need to keep these perfectly wonderful hormone making jewels - but I keep getting the feeling and I quote from my female family doctor whom I just saw "well you won't be needing them in the future anyways, once you reach menopause'!! Is she still living in a cave? I'm 49 and I may not hit total menopause for another 3-5 years if I'm lucky.

I would love to hear anybody's input as to how they made darn sure that the ovaries (if good and healthy) were not removed.

Thank you!

cottagegurl

I will tell you what I told my doctor when he was pressuring me to have them removed as a preventative for cancer. These were my exact words: "Okay, lets be really preventative! How about we remove my legs, my arms and my breasts! Then I can be sure of not getting cancer!" Needless to say, he immediately stopped hassling me and put Subtotal Hysterectomy only on the surgical papers. I chuckled when I got my operative report because it repeats over and over again about the ovaries being left in place because "the patient wishes to preserve the ovary". I thought one mention would have been fine but I think it is in there four times. My take on it, why remove a healthy organ!

Thank you so much for your reply! I love it!! That's exactly what I'll say when pressured to take the ovaries out.

Awesome!

Just be sure that on your consent that you have to sign it makes your wants known. They also had me verify in the R exactly what procedures were being done.

My gyn told me my ovaries look great on all my tests and there was no reason to remove them. My surgeon agreed. There was no mention of them wanting to remove them.

My ob/gyn is also my surgeon. We did quite a bit of hormone testing prior to my TAH on 7/12. Since my ovaries were still working and no one in my family has a history of ovarian cancer, she felt they should stay. On the other hand, I was wondering about keeping my cervix, but she had already removed a large polyp. Her comment was that she felt like keeping healthy working organs is great, but once an organ is damaged, and if it is not completely necessary, it should come out. We made very sure my paperwork noted that my ovaries were staying and that was verified at my hospital pre-op appointment and again in the pre-surgery area with the OR nurse, as well as when my ob/gyn stopped by to talk with me before they took me into surgery. I would say if your surgeon knows and you verify on your hospital paperwork both at your pre-op appointment and right before your surgery, you should be okay. Good luck on your surgery, you'll be heading down the healing path before you know it!

My doctor told me there is new research that the ovaries are good for the heart and bones everyone around me was telling me to have them taken out my dr said not unless they are not working,,,my thought is: why mess with something thats not broken.. i am keeping mine unless the dr finds something wrong...i quite listening to other women.. i would keep my ovaries i am there is not history of ovarian cancer in my family and since i had tubal less likely to happen hope this helps have a good surgery and recovery

Thank you!! You ladies sure got a girl's back and have given me the 'guts' to stand firm about keeping my ovaries!! I just want to wake up from surg. and even in my drugged state it will be my first question!! "Do I Still Have My Ovaries!??"

So thank you - I'll let you all know how it goes. Not sure just when my surg. is, I'll probably find out next week - so end of Sept. early October I'm thinking.

Big hugs!!!!

My doc is leaving this decision completely up to me. I am 53. Still perimenopausal. And trying my darndest to figure out which choice will be best for me.

I have read the newer research on Heart disease and osteoporosis post removal.

But I also suffer from androgen related acne (which I was kinda hoping would clear if I got them out.)