what are the pros and cons of losing/keeping ovaries?

i am going crazy trying to decide what to do with my ovaries, i dont know wheather to keep them or have them removed when i have my hyster. they are healthy, but my dr. recommends having them removed. my mother had uterine cancer, but no ovarian cancer. i am 42 and have another 10 years before menopause, i am going through peri-menopause now, with night sweats, etc.... any pro or con comments would be appreciated. im new here, and am enjoying reading the informative letters. they help alot. thanks, Jeanah

If I had been given a choice I would have kept them. Even after menopause the ovaries dribble good stuff for your skin, hair and bones. I am in surgical menopause and cannot take HRT and it hasn`t been the easiest thing I have ever done.

For many ladies it is a struggle to get the hormone balance to feel well even with HRT. Take a look at some of the Jungle Posts if you have a chance. Many ladies do just fine on the first HRT they are given....but many find it takes much tinkering. A very frustrating place to be.

Here is a link that might help you decide.

http://www.hadbai.co.uk/hysterectomy.htm

So my vote is...if they are healthy, hang on to them!

Wishing you a speedy journey toward recovered health!

{{{{{{{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}}}}}}}

kaatie

Jeanah,

I'm your age and wrestled with the same decision ... and then my doctor had an interesting idea -- she suggested I keep ONE ovary and lose the other. She said that way I would get 100 percent of the benefits, and cut my risk for ovarian cancer in half. I thought about it a lot and decided to do it -- and I'm very glad I did. I'm four weeks post op, and so far show no signs of surgical menopause (meaning my ovary is still working and didn't die, which is a risk during a hysterectomy.)

What my doc said was that there's so much you have to deal with after surgery, that keeping your ovary and not having to deal with HRT at the same time, is the best way to feel like yourself as soon as you can.

Not all women can do this -- some have to lose both ovaries (in fact she said she would examine both of mine while she was "in there" and if there was something wrong with both of them, she would have to take them both. But there wasn't.)

Anyway, talk to your doctor about this and see what he/she says. It's just another option, but so far, it's one I'm glad I took.

Good luck,

Laura

Dear Jeanah,

I was 42 at the time of my sugery, and my doc also offered to remove the healthy ovaries *as long as he was in there*. UGH, why do they say that stuff? If you weren't having a hyst now, would you be scheduling a surgery just to remove your healthy ovaries? Would you have your healthy breasts removed now to avoid any risk of breast cancer in the future? Any other body parts? Would your doc have his prostrate removed *to avoid getting cancer in 20 years*?

I chose to keep my healthy ovaries & they are still puttering along at 2+ years post-op. If they get cranky or sickly next year or in 5 years, I will deal with it THEN.

Only YOU must live with your post-op results, good or bad. Only YOU must balance your hormones every day (and pay the $$$) if you end up on that road.

Get a 2nd or 3rd medical opinion if you haven't already. Get smart about your symptoms & your option & make the best choice for YOU.

Sending cyberhugs

This is one of the toughest decisions we get to have input into, IMHO. Often the surgery is not a choice, the way it is to be done is dictated by the reasons for the surgery and so forth.

I think the first thing I would suggest, Jeanah, is talking to your doctor about WHY he/she wants to take them now, if they are healthy. My doctor took mine but she did so because I was over 50 already. That was okay with me but I think if I had asked to keep them I could have. Do you have other medical conditions that make surgery more troublesome...so she wants to remove them now as opposed to later (if necessary)? These are things I would want to pin down so you can make an informed decision.

Best of luck and let us know what your doctor says...we are here to support you!