enlarged uterus

I am being told that I have an enlarged uterus - size of a 12 week pregnancy and many fibroids. I am 51 years old and have been fighting this for 5 years. My doctor says I have to have a TAH and I am scheduled for August 12th.He is very old school and won't even discuss my keeping my ovaries. I am having a second opinion with a woman doctor this week. thoughts?

I think it is good you are getting that second opinion. You need to know just what all your options are so YOU can make the decision to keep or not keep YOUR ovaries!! Good luck and welcome to the forum.

Thnx for your support. I just joined this group today and I amazed at the information I have gathered in just a few short hours. I see you are scheduled for August 7th - best of luck to you!

Hey, i am glad that your haveing a second opinion i to had an enlarged uterus , fibroids and endometriosis and i recantly underwent a tah and i was able to keep my overies , keep on at your doctors that if there is no medical reason to take then then they should leave them there, good luck and all the best.
Janet from down under

thnx. Does anyone know if there anyway to have a TVH? I am so bummed out that I have to go TAH. My doctor says the fibroids are just too big. I am so mad at myself that I did not do this sooner. Maybe i could have done it vaginally 5 years ago!!!!!

Hi and welcome! I agree with the other posts about getting a second opinion if you're not happy or satisfied with your current dr. It can't hurt to try.

Good luck to you!
Ruth

Hi,

Just wanted to say - it is so important to trust your doctor and to know ALL of your options. If you need to - get a third opinion! You should feel comfortable with what you are doing. Peace of mind is priceless!

As for the fibroids....and the type of surgery, I don't know - maybe some of the other women on the board can offer their experience; but you should also ask that question to the second doctor you are going to see.

Have they tried meds to shrink them? that could be a dumb question as I don't know a lot about this stuff - but keep asking the doctors until you are satisfied!

BEST OF LUCK!

	Quote:
Originally Posted by Broadpro thnx. Does anyone know if there anyway to have a TVH? I am so bummed out that I have to go TAH. My doctor says the fibroids are just too big. I am so mad at myself that I did not do this sooner. Maybe i could have done it vaginally 5 years ago!!!!!

I'd like to add my kudos on your decision to get a second opinion. When my Dr. and I decided on a hysterectomy my uterus was equivalent to a 20 week pregnancy and he still was confident that a LSH was the best way to go. My fibroids are even bigger than they were then (back in May) and my uterus is bigger still. (I've gone from two golfballs and a marble to two baseballs and a golfball and the top of my uterus is above my belly button) We're still going with the LSH.


As for TVH, the way I understand it is if you've given birth vaginally and if your uterus/fibroids fall within a certain size range, OR if your doctor can morcillate (sp?) the uterus, then a TVH is a viable option. I may be wrong on this... most of my exploration has been focused on LSH, so others may be able to offer better info.

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Without being too tacky, since you're 51 has there been any discussion of other options? You weren't specific about your symptoms so it may be more than you can bear as you wait for menopause, but if it is fibroids that are plaguing you, it's my understanding that they shrink as women go through menopause and there might be other things that you can do to "tide you over" until then.

In any case, let me again say that it's very good to get a second opinion, especially when your first doctor won't discuss the possibility of leaving healthy organs intact. You still need those suckers if you can keep 'em! And your cervix provides some benefit as well. Again, if yours is healthy, why not keep it?


I'll be keeping an eye out for you, and a heart and prayers for you too!

Be blessed,
Beseda

My doctor is firm about removing my ovaries, too. He told me that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend removing the ovaries of a woman 45 and older. The argument is that she will likely be in menopause by age 51 and that her ovaries can be a source of problems such as cancer and cysts.

However, I found this from an August 2005 study by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists:
"Ovarian conservation until age 65 benefits longterm
survival for women undergoing hysterectomy for
benign disease. Women with oophorectomy before age 55
have 8.58% excess mortality by age 80, and those with
oophorectomy before age 59 have 3.92% excess mortality."

I am scared of surgical menopause, yet I have decided to go with my doctor's recommendation because: I am 49, perimenopausal with mild hot flashes and night sweats of varying degrees, I have painful mid-month ovulation and there is a history of ovarian cysts in my immediate family.

The decision to keep or get rid of ovaries is a very personal one. I wish you the best in your decision.

My experience: 2 years ago, just prior to the op, a woman gynecologist didn´t mention the ovaries but her boss, an old male gynecologist ran after me and more or less persuaded me to agree to get rid of my ovaries during the TAH. He scared me with a great risk of having to have a second major operation in 2 years after the hysterectomy unless...But the female surgeon firmly recommended on keeping the ovaries for which I have been happy so far. My gynecologist this month showed with ultra sound that the ovaries are working. I´ll soon be 50 and I´m feeling fine. On the other hand, when I asked about options prior to the op, the surgeon said about the alternatives I´ve seen here: not worth it, it´s just an American way of throwing away money... Don´t know whom to believe. It all depends on who you talk with and what you happen to read. I´ve met doctors who haven´t been a´jour in their own field before.