Hysterectomy and menopause continues to create confusion among many women who are not sure whether the latter will be induced by having a hysterectomy. In explaining what can occur let’s look at the link between the two.

Firstly, what is a hysterectomy? In simple terms, it’s the removal of a women’s uterus and cervix or part of a women’s uterus. Some procedures may also involve removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

The Effects Of Hysterectomy

So how does a hysterectomy affect menopause? Women can no longer menstruate or become pregnant following a hysterectomy but it seems there is confusion surrounding the issue of whether this means that menopause has occurred. Simply explained, if one or both of the ovaries are retained then menopausal onset could continue as normal. In fact, one of three things could happen: the ovaries will continue to function normally until menopause occurs; the ovaries could stop functioning as soon as one year following surgery or ovarian failure could be silent.

What Is Surgical Menopause?

Complete removal of the ovaries in pre-menopausal women will result in a drop in oestrogen and progesterone levels which can bring on what is described as surgical menopause. A sudden drop in ovarian production can lead to menopause symptoms occuring just a few days following the procedure. The increased risk of osteoporosis is one of the downsides to this as well as the usual symptoms of menopause including hot flushes and night sweats.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is an option for women who experience surgical menopause. This can help alleviate some of the symptoms such as hot flushes. Information on the benefits of HRT are sketchy to say the least with the treatment having both it’s detractors and supporters. Whether it’s the right course of action for you can only be made following a consultation with your health physician. The good news for women who elect to skip HRT is that there are alternative and more natural treatments available and this should be one of the first questions you ask your doctor.

Women who have one or both of their ovaries left behind following a hysterectomy will generally experience ovarian production until menopause is reached. The difference is that hormone levels can fluctuate alarmingly or, they can stop producing a lot sooner than expected. If it’s the latter and oestrogen deficiency is recognized, then a visit to the doctor is of the utmost importance.

More Issues To Consider

There are other issues regarding whether the ovaries should be left behind. The threat of ovarian cancer always lingers and many doctors will advise their patients to consider removing them. The risk however, is low and in many cases if the ovaries are relatively healthy then many patients will elect to retain either one or both.

Hysterectomy and menopause seems like a very complex issue on the surface and in reality it is because there are many factors to consider. Hysterectomy is one of the most performed surgical procedures in the western world for women and for most, it’s a decision made after lengthy analysation. You’ll need to weigh up the pros and cons with your doctor before making any decision.



Thanks to Dean Caporella for contributing this article to our Menopause blog:

Premature Menopause

As we mentioned in previous articles during the last stage of the menstrual cycle normally a layer of endometriosis lining in the inside of the uterus is expelled, known as menstruation blood but instead some of the endometriosis tissues grow somewhere in the body causing endometriosis. Endometriosis also reacts to hormonal signals of the monthly menstrual cycle, building up tissue, breaking it, and eliminating it through the menstrual period. Sometime, because of the advance state of endometriosis that may danger to the women life, hysterectomy may be the last resource. In this article, we will discuss what is hysterectomy??

I. Definition

A hysterectomy is the second most common surgery among women in the United States. For women with endometriosis in the advance state, hysterectomy may be suggested if your health doctor think that the endometriosis may post danger to your life. Hysterectomy is an operation to remove of a woman’s uterus. There are three types of surgery approach

1. Abdominal hysterectomy

Hysterectomies are done through a cut in the abdomen.

2. Vagina hysterectomy

Hysterectomies are done through a cut in vagina.

3. Laparoscopic hysterectomy

Laparoscopic is a medical instrument that help the doctor see inside the abdomen during abdomen and vaginal hysterectomy.

II. Types of hysterectomy

The four types of hysterectomy are all involved in the removing of the uterus.

a) Total hysterectomy

Total hysterectomy is the operation that remove the uterus along with the cervix.

b) Subtotal hysterectomy

Subtotal hysterectomy is the operation that remove only the uterus.

c) Simple hysterectomy

It is the operation that remove the uterus without removal of adjacent tissue or lymph nodes.

d) Radical hysterectomy

Radical hysterectomy is the most lengthy operation, it not only remove the uterus but also the cervix, the upper part of the vagina, and all supporting tissues. This type of surgery is rarely used in endometrial operation but usually done to treat cervical cancer.

III. Risks

a) Heavy blood loss during and after surgery

b) Bow and bladder damage caused by medical instrument used to perform the surgery

c) Anesthesia risk always exist.

d) Incision required further attention

I hope this information will help. If you need more information or insurance advices, please follow my article series of the above subject at my home page at:

http://medicaladvisorjournals.blogspot.com

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Thanks to Kyle J. Norton for contributing this article to our Menopause blog:

Bleeding After Menopause

A laparoscopic hysterectomy us a type of hysterectomy performed with a class of slender optical tubes commonly referred to as laparoscopes. Performed by this manner, hysterectomies often result in shorter recovery and operating times than usual surgeries of this type. It is also quite common for there to be much less scarring and because of this many women request laparoscope assisted procedures.

How is this operation performed and who are good candidates for laparoscopic hysterectomies?

Basic laparoscopic hysterectomies begin with a short incision below a womans navel, in which a laparoscopic instrument is inserted. The doctor then examines the women’s pelvic area with the instrument, deciding where to perform additional cuts with the slim surgical instruments. The laparoscope is then used as a surgical guide while the surgeon removes the uterus from the womens body. The uterus is dissected into sections which are the right size to be removed through the abdomen cuts so very few stitches are required to close these small incisions.

Variations on the basic laparoscopic hysterectomy procedure are known as laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy and laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy. A disadvantage of the common vaginal hysterectomy is that the reproductive organs and pelvic area is a blind spot to the surgeon. By using a laparoscopical instrument during a vaginal hysterectomy procedure, a surgeon can see the complete female reproductive area.

With the laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy, the cervix can remain untouched while removing the uterus. Leaving the cervix has many benefits, as it acts as a support for many pelvic ligaments, and can eliminate the effect of post hysterectomy decreased sexual response and vaginal dryness. This procedure is gaining popularity amongst physicians and patients.

Laparoscopic hysterectomies are appropriate for only some conditions, such as small-medium uterine fibroid removal, and less serious cases of unusual bleeding and endometriosis. Women who have a uterus which has grown beyond normal size may not be suitable candidates for this procedure.

All types of hysterectomy are major surgeries, which should not be taken lightly. They should be thoroughly researched and understood before undergoing the actual surgery. Alternate remedies, short of surgery should be contemplated with doctor’s approval. However, if surgery is deemed necessary, the possibility of the less invasive laparoscopic hysterectomies should be discussed with the woman’s doctor. If the womans condition allows, she may feel that laparoscopic hysterectomy is her best course of action. Of course it should go with out saying but this article is for informational purposes only and you need to consult a professional for the safest and best advice.



Thanks to anonymous for contributing this article to our Menopause blog:

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