Hysterectomy has been suggested..

I'm new to all of this so please bear with me. My Dr. has suggested a Hysterectomy (and removing the right ovary) due to bleeding problems. I also have a dermoid tumor on the right ovary that has to come out. She says I have fibroids on my uterus, but I'm thinking I can live with the fibroids causing havoc with my cycle, just remove the ovary with the tumor. I am 45 years old with 2 children and not wanting any more. I'm scared of the problems that may occur after a hysterectomy. I am getting a second opinion, but was wondering if anyone can give me info on living with fibroids.

As long as the fibroids aren't causing bothersome symptoms you can co-exist forever with them. Have you tried medication to control the bleeding?


What problems are you afraid of? Complications or problems really aren't that common. I think you should discuss your particular concerns with your doctor for reassurance, and getting a second opinion is a great idea.

I put up with huge fibroids for years but the symptoms became progressively worse , and in my case they were blocking my ureter which will entually cause permanent kidney damage, so I opted for a TAH. I've never had a problem in 4 years post op.

I had fibroids and emdometriosis. I didn't know how bad they made me feel until there were GONE! I had TAH last July. Wish I had done it 5 years ago. Good luck with your decision!

Hi alijar and welcome! You're smart to look into all your options for dealing with the fibroids before rushing into a hysterectomy. While it's true that most women who have a hysterectomy sail right through the surgery and recovery and never look back, there can be complications, both at the time of surgery and in the long term afterwards, and it's important to weigh the risk of these complications against the benefit that you might get from having the surgery.

I think your idea about just removing the ovary and dermoid and leaving the uterus is definitely worth exploring. And kudos to you for getting a second opinion... don't hesitate to get even a third or fourth, as many as you need until you feel totally comfortable with the recommendations you get for treatment.

To help in your decision making, here are some links with more information about fibroids, living with them and treating them:

http://www.womenshealthlondon.org.uk...ds/living.html

http://www.luhs.org/news/pubs/ll/03_june/index5.htm

http://www.dcmilitary.com/navy/journ...h/24827-1.html

http://www.goodsamdayton.com/media/v3i2_tumors.pdf

http://www.caromont.org/1749.cfm

Also, if you click on 'resources' up at the top of this page, it will take you to our Resources forum... there is tons of information in there on fibroids and their treatments.

I hope this helps. Good luck with your decision. We're here to support you in any way we can.
s,
-Linda

Hi Alijar,

(((Linda))) has given you some great advice and she is right, there is a lot of information here about treatments for fibroids.

You don't mention how many fibroids you have or how large your uterus is, but you do mention bleeding problems. I'm guessing these are due to the fibroids, not the ovarian cyst. If you are hoping to alleviate the bleeding problems and planning to have surgery for your ovary, is myomectomy an option for you?

At age 45 I had a laparoscopic myomectomy to have 2 fibroids removed. My uterus was 14 to 16 week size. Although it turned out that I had severe endometriosis too and later decided to have a hyst, a myomectomy might be a good option for you - especially if you're going to have surgery anyway. Just something to consider and discuss with your gyn.

Please keep us posted on how you are doing and what you decide about treatment.

Beth