Cervix removed or not???

Hi, I have had 2 opinions from surgeons. One says to remove the cervex along with the uterus and the other says to leave it. How do I know what to do?

Hi, I was given the same option. I think it's a personal choice, and you'll probably be happiest if you research your options before deciding what you most comfortable with.

I spent a lot of energy on this question (perhaps I was a wee bit obsessive about it :-) There are some differences such as, if you keep your cervix, you could still have 'mini periods' and you'll need to keep get screened for cervical cancer. But then, I read some sources that claimed that keeping the cervix could possibly lower your chances of future vaginal prolaps, (alhtough the soures I trust most, said that idea hasn't proven to be true.)

Either way, you want to do what right for you and your overall health. If you have one doctor who's pro and one who's con, I'd keeping getting more information and more professional opinions until you feel comfortable making your decision. Good luck.

(PS at 4 weeks post-op, I'm feeling great, period-free and planning my post recovery fitness plan, and I can honestly say that the last thing on worry list is whether or not I made the right cervix choice, so don't be silly like me and worry about it too much!!)

Thanks for your advice! So did you end up keeping yours?

Loristar, According to the very bottom of her signature she did not. I however am keeping mine. I haven't had surgery so I can't give you anymore help, but this site has alot of good advice info. Mine finally came down to the philosophy of keep whats healthy and remove whats not. Best of luck with your decision.

I agree with what you are saying. When do you go for your surgery?

Hi loristar:

Keeping your cervix (or not) may be dependent upon your reasons for having a hyst. As a prolapse victim, I was not a candidate to keep my cervix.

Here is a link to an article about the pros & cons of keeping your cervix: http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/article_96911.htm

I hope you are able to find the right answers soon. I am sending huge cyberhugs

Loristar,My surgery is 7/19. I got my period the first of July it stopped this Monday and started again yesterday(wens) with alot of pain. I am so done!

Boolizzie, good luck with your surgery. Please keep me posted on your recovery. HUGS!!

My original plan was to keep my cervix, with the same idea already mentioned above, basically: don't tamper with parts that are doing just fine.

However, a few days before my surgery, I found out that my grandmother had had cervical cancer, so that was why I changed my mind. For me, the peace of mind came from gathering information so that I could make a confindent decision.

I had also hoped for a vaginal hysterectomy which (at my hospital) would have required the cervix to go too. But in the end, that didn't matter since my fibroid/uterus was way too large, so I woke up post TAH.

Either way, I'm just glad I got it over with, because the anxiety was, for me, the worst and hardest part!

This can be a very controversial discussion with doctors and patients on both sides of this issue. When searching for information on a different topic altogether, I came across an article written by a doctor's office with some balanced discussion about the cervix. You will need to scroll down just a bit as the article includes information about all aspects of laparoscopic hysterectomy: http://www.drwilsonobgyn.com/surgery/index.html .

For what it is worth, it has been almost 11 years and I don't miss my cervix in the least.

S