Ovaries removed or not?

Hi I am 49 having a Hysterectomy on the 18th of this month.
My doctor is leaving it up to me if I want my ovaries out or not.
he said if I was 39 then leave them and if I was 59 take them out.
I am concerned because will I HAVE to take hormones if the ovaries are removed?

I am having hysterectomy on the 26th and had the same discussion. I am 40. The doctor wants to leave at least one ovary if he can to deter surgical menopause. He said the benefits of keeping at least one out
weighed taking it out to avoid further problems. Of course if he gets in there and needs to take it he will.

I'm 48, & because my grandmother had ovarian cancer, the Dr told me it would be good to take them now. He also told me I would only have use of them for a couple more years, anyway. Because of previous experience with BC pills causing my blood pressure to go crazy, I am not a candidate for HRT. I'm counting on Grandma's genetics because she never had HRT & did fine.

If you can do HRT, that one little pill or patch shouldn't deter you from having the ovaries out, if they are of any concern for the future.

@penniesgram: We have the same surgery date and I had the same decision. I am 44 and will turn 45 two weeks after surgery. My doctory also gave me the decision on whether to keep or not and I decided to take the ovaries. My two main reasons are: (1) history of cervical dysplasia and (2) never had ovary issues in the past and my latest ultrasound showed a mass on my right ovary. Granted my doctor thinks that it is benign, but I don't want to go through all this and still have to worry about what could happen. And deep down I feel it is the right decision for ME!

I would suggest a frank talk with you doctor, mine was amazing at playing devil's advocate and angel and really helped me make the decision. It is also up to me if I want to take HRT or "rough" it. Good luck and see you on the other side.

I'm 48 and had mine taken out. I didn't have a choice since I had already had one surgery to remove several cysts off both ovaries. My doctor said I was borderline for doing HRT so I opted not to. I have been handling the menopause issues on my own. I added extra calcuim/vit d and take Estroven PM(otc) to help with hot flashes and sleep issues. There are women on here that are using organic apple cider vinager for hot flashes and that has helped them.

Good luck with your surgery.

My only regret was not having had my surgery sooner. I feel like a new person. No pain anytime now.

i am in the same boat-(surgery in jan) my gyn said from a medical stand point you can say,"you only have a 1-5% chance of getting ovarian cancer based on your history"....but he said from a personal level i'd say "if 100 women were in a room and 1-5 of them were going to get ovarian cancer based on their history ...how sure would you be it wasn't going to be you- if it was a lottery you would buy the ticket"
so i waiver back and forth but i think i will have them out and see how it goes- i'm 50 anyway sooooo probably would hit menopause soon.
good luck!

Thank you all for your stories and advice. I am already having hot flashes and I get through it pretty good. I just didn't know if it would be soo much worse once the ovaries are out. I am opting to just getting them out.. But it is so good to hear from others that are going through the same situation.
thanks

Hi Penniesgram,

I was 46 when I had my hyst and I decided to leave my ovaries. In pre-op, my ovaries were healthy and I had no history of ovarian cancer in my family...so my Dr. suggested I keep them. I am stil happy with the decision.

If your ovaries are healthy....you might think about leaving them. The ovaries secrete important hormones that help with the bones, skin and hair. And newer studies are showing that the ovaries secrete their important hormones well into menopause and the hormones are free. And studies are showing that by leaving the ovaries after a hyst..it helps with the overall health of the heart.

Also, my Dr. told me that ovarian cancer occurs in 5% or less of women so that was good odds for me. In my case, I did not want to remove my healthy ovaries to prevent something that might never happen.

In the end...just do what is *best* for you. That is what is most important.

Best wishes ~

Mary

'thanks Mary,
great advice! I will be talking to my doctor about it next week.