Keeping ovaries vs losing ovaries

My doctor originally said he wanted to take out everything when I have my hysterectomy. I told him emphatically that I want to keep my ovaries and he is fine with my decision. Now, I'm wondering, since I'm nearly through menopause if there is any reason, other than less cutting during surgery, to keep my ovaries. My first thought is to keep everything I can, especially if the problem is with my uterus,and not my ovaries. Whats the concensus?????

Because of my age (37) I wanted to keep my ovaries. Luckily both were healthy so I was able to keep them and wasn't put into surgical menopause.

I've read that even after menopause your ovaries are beneficial but I don't recall exactly in what capacity. Hopefully some other sisters can shed light on this.

Hi!
I'm past menopause and chose to have everything done at once. Good thing, it would have been done anyway. Gyn didn't like what he saw when he got in there. First, I only had one ovary (surprise) and the other one looked very suspicious. Everything was okay, but he was not liking the way it looked. Told my family he suspected cancer. Anyway, I just figured I didn't want any more surgeries so I opted for the BSO.
Hope that helps.
s

I am scheduled for surgery on Dec. 2 and I think I have decided to have my ovaries removed.I have not gone through menopause yet and know this will put me into a surgical menopause. That is my only reason for maybe wanting to keep my ovaries.

I am more concerned with ovarian cancer and since I am adopted ,I do not know my family health history. I have heard that the ovaries can keep producing some hormones after menopause - but my Dr. says they just dry up and are non functional. Still keep going back and forth on what to do - but I am leaning toward removal. Don't want to worry about ovarian cancer later.

Hi, im 42 when this all came up I choose to loose my ovaries I figure I would rather have them taken out, then have to have them removed years later, with my family history I just didnt think it was worth taking a chance, and the night I found out that I needed the surgery my cousin found out that she had ovarian cancer, and she had a hysterectomy years ago, so thats just something I wouldnt want to go through, best of luck.

Bev

I have done some research and have read there are pluses and minuses to this. If you keep them and they function after the procedure they do have benifits even beyond menopause. If they fail you go on HRT and depending on there health may or may not have to have them removed. My suggestion educate yourself to your options read about Ovary function after hysterectomy and read about what to do if they fail. ALso read about HRT and ERT and see if you are a good candidate for it. I am just sharing what I have read recently and I plan discussing in lenght with my doctor all these scenarios and taking my family health history as well as my own into my consideration. It is a hige decisio, make the right one for you but know all your options first )

I wish you luck let us know how it all goes.

OH this is a very tough and personal decision.....one I made 2 months ago. I am 48 and was already in menopause. At first, I too, was gonna keep ovaries, but my doctor convinced me they were producing no estrogen, and the testosterone they were producing...I would not notice a change. I opted to remove ovaries, but believe me, I struggled with this for weeks!

When I first woke up, I was glad I had made this decision. I must say I did notice more night sweats first couple of weeks....I am not and have not been taking any hrt, but did start on premarin cream after 4th week to promote healing of the stitches. I have sinced cut that in half. I must say that I do not regret having the ovaries removed.....I think I would have been more upset had I left the ovaries in and they failed after surgery...thus leaving me with no ovarian function whatsoever, and my ovaries still inside.

I wish you well, and pray you find the right answer for you.



Debbie

You do need to do a lot of research into ovaries and menopause, HRTs and and your own medical and family history, so you can make an informed descion you are comfortable with. It is a very personal choice, and many women are perfectly healthy and happy either way.

That said...I will say that for me personaly, I have always dreaded ovarian cancer more than any other of the female cancers b/c it is SO deadly and hard to catch early enough. Ovaries can produce some small but productive amounts of hormones after menopause, but it is hard to say if it is beneficial enough to out weigh the risk of cancer in the future. Several docs have stated that it really bothers them when they have patients die from ovarian cancer needlessly in their opinion, b/c they had had a hyst at one time and they could have been removed.

Plus, I have read of many women here who left ovaries in only to find that shock of surg made them stop functioning and they had to go on HRT anyway. And worse, many of them later developed probs with ovaries, like painful cysts, and had to go back for MORE surg to remove. (having been thru surg once, I do NOT want to go thru again!)

I am now on bio-identical HRT, and doing very well so far. But this is a very individual choice, and should be given lots of thought.

Best wishes!

Keeping or not keeping ovaries is one of the toughest decisions I have had to make. I am 49, no signs of menopause, had TVH for massive fibroids and prolapse 2 1/2 weeks ago. I am the first female on maternal side of family to reach this age without incidence of breast cancer.

Once I decided to go ahead with the (highly recommended but not pushed on me) hysterectomy, my Dr asked me how I felt about keeping my ovaries. I had forgotten that it was an option to keep them! I was a bit on the fence about this because of the very high incidence of breast cancer in my family (2 first-degree relatives, one 2nd degree) I told her my tendency was to keep them if at all possible, she agreed because I am not a good candidate for HRT. She also warned me that there is no guarantee that ovary function will continue, and that they may only work for a short time. One the other hand, she said there is a good chance they WILL function for some time and that any additional time I get would be beneficial. The plan was to remove them if they were visibly "suspicious". She had pix of healthy looking ovaries from my hysteroscopy two years ago and there were no obvious changes since then.

So they're in there, and I know they are working at least for now because I have gone through what would have been a period (complete with breast tenderness and pms grumpiness) since surgery. But.....I wasn't tied to the house because of bleeding and pain killers!!!!! Hooray!! A new kind of period, maybe the kind I can handle better.

I know that at some point I will go through menopause, sans the uterus, but am prepared to handle that as it happens. I also realize that there is the possibility that they may have to be removed in the future but I am willing to take that chance.

Just my thoughts, not a medical opinion...
sallyj

You are very wise to be carefully weighing your options.

I had my hyst last January (2002) and wanted to keep my ovaries - for the reason of not wanting to deal with taking ERT. Doc said they looked great and I got to keep them.

Pain started up - monthly at first, and now has an interesting cycle... problems about 15-20 days out of the month - pain and headaches. I have cysts on both ovaries and cysts in there not attached to anything.

Here I go again - surgery is set for Dec. 5th - to have my ovaries out. I'm sorry to have to go through surgery again, when I could have had it all done at once - but I was trying to do what is best. You just never know how the ovaries will do without the uterus in there...

I've had a rough year and look forward to moving on in 2003.

Wish you best of luck in your decision.

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