Keeping Ovaries or Not???

I'm 43, and it was actually my ob/gyn (also my surgeon) who suggested leaving my ovaries so I would go through menopause when I normally would have. It has to do with your age, whether they've given you any grief, family history etc.

Read, read and then read some more and then make the decision you are comfortable with.

For: SD13,

In answer to your cervix question...in pre-op, I decided to keep my cervix since it was sturdy and I had had normal pap smears for years. Also, my Dr. felt that the cervix helps with pelvic support and with sex. True for me.

You can get (2) schools of thinking on leaving the cervix or not. In my case, I am glad I retained it.

In the end...do what is *best* for you.

Mary

I agree. I want to keep mine. He is talking about taking one since I have a lot of pain. If it is just a cyst, remove the cyst only. It took me long enough to decide to let the uterus go. I don't believe in remove healthy parts. If my ovary looks necrotic, then yes take it. If it has a little endo, just remove it and keep going. Either way, I will still have one ovary. He says the one will do the work of too. I think that ovaries are more important than the uterus in terms of hormones. I go in on the 12th.

All,

I hear what you all are saying, but I am 41, had a hysterectomy 4 years ago, and now because of a large cyst on my ovary, will need surgery again to remove ovaries. Life has been great since my hyster but now I am facing another surgery and wonder should I have insisted my doctor removed them 4 years ago?

Now, I too have done research on keeping or taking ovaries, and it seems there are alot of women who at some point needed to have surgery again when ovaries were kept. There are benefits to keeping ovaries and prolonging start of menopause, so it seems to be a matter of if you are ok with possibility of maybe having another surgery down the line if something goes wrong with the ovaries or having them removed now and dealing with surgical menpause and the decision of HRT or no HRT, and all the menopausal symptoms that women experience with no ovaries.

Biscotti, reading other forums on this site can help with your decision, especially no ovaries, no HRT or no ovaries yes HRT. Also, reading up on menopause and talking with family members about their menopausal symptoms can help. Hyster sisters has truly helped me with my previous and upcoming surgery. After reading this site and doing some research, the right decision will come to you. Good luck!

Historylady,

Did you have LSH when you kept your cervix? What about mini-periods?

Islaugh,
I understand what you are saying, but at 41 I feel too young to take them. With my luck, I won't menopause until 55 like my mother. I just will have to go back to get them out if there is a problem. Like I said, the dr. wants the right one anyway.

I am having my ovaries removed because I have the problem that is talked about on tv, PMDD. A week before my period and for the first 3 days into it I am the original Mr. Hyde. Like I told my doctor, I am tired of taking people's heads off. With that in mind the doctor asked me if I wanted to keep them and I said yes. Then he explained that the hormonal problem would still be there and that made up my mind to go without them.

Does anyone have this problem? Any suggestions outside of the doctor?

For: Jennice41

In answer to your questions:

Yes - I kept my cervix with my LSH.

I had my cervix cauterized during my LSH and I have not had a mini-period in post-op. If a Hyster Sisters keeps one or both ovaries and the cervix, there is a chance of a mini-period in post-op.

Mary

Biscotti,
I kept my ovaries. Before the surgery, the doctor said that most likely they would have to go. I said, if they are OK and look good, keep them....I want to go through menopause! He looked at me weird at first and then he said that most likely they will "shut down" in 2 years. He said if they are removed, I would begin natural hormones (which was OK with me!). I said "OK, look at them and I trust you to make the right decision if they are to be removed." He did not remove them, he said they looked healthy. I don't see why remove the ovaries if they are healthy and not giving you trouble. My cervix and uterus was removed. I believe it is your choice if the ovaries are healthy.
Good luck,
Tansie

my SIL had here ovaries removed at 32, so far she's not experienced any problems, hormone or otherwise...her family says she is a completely different person (no the ms. hyde she used to be around period time)...she's 34 now. That said, I plan to keep my ovaries, mostly for the +hormones...my mom's been on hormones for years and I don't want to play the guessing game trying to figure out what combination works best for me.

as for the cervix...I'm torn on this issue...at first I told the dr. to take it as well because my Dx of HPV makes cervical cancer something that I have to think about, but if the cervix is a big factor in the future quality of my sex life with my husband then I may keep it (since the strain of HPV that I have may not cause CC)... i'll wait for the pre-op to discuss this more ...

I kept my ovaries as they were healthy. No reason to say goodbye to them. I did have my cervix removed, doctor felt it should stay, I was insistent that it go. My reasons were due to my long history of endomettriosis and adenomyosis. Along with all my other pain, I had pain in my cervix throughout the month (like a knife was searing through me) as well.
Turns out my pathology confirmed cervical endometriosis, which explained that knife like pain I was experiencing.
So basically if I hadn't had my cervix removed, it would have had to be removed later, meaning a second surgery. No thanks!
My orgasms are just as intense and my libido has not changed. I have zero regrets and zero chance of a mini period.
This is of course a personal decision, but IMO if you have confirmed endo, leaving the cervix means endo will/can manifest in that remaining part of your uterus. JMO.
Good luck with your decision.