Hi I'm 43 will be 44 in April been sterilised 13 years and had a endometrial ablation 3 years ago so my baby making days are truly over lol!, I have just got back from hospital and I'm going to be having a hysterectomy he said I've got to decide if to have my ovaries taken out or keep them. He recommends taking them out because endometritios feeds off oestrogen and I would go straight into menopause then which he said I might do naturally in 5-7 years myself anyway! Could anybody tell me if they have gone through hysterectomy and what was the best for them. Keeping them or taking them away.
Thank you
Sharron x
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Sharron2071
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Hi I'm 33 and had a hysterectomy and both ovaries removed on 10 December. Mine were really badly damaged and they said there was no way I could ever get pregnant naturally and that ivf would never work either. I knew my left was always going to be removed as it was attached to my bowel but was clear with them that if I couldn't have children and the endo was going to continue with the right left in then I would want to know why it was being retained. They said (after my lap) that they all agreed that if it stayed in I would be back where I was in a few years time (they had planned to fit a coil when they removed the ovary) so we all agreed that it should come out too. I'm currently not taking hrt so that any endo that was missed will die off before I start introducing oestrogen again in a couple of months. Personally I was happy with this decision, during my last period I had really bad shoulder pain and spent the whole time worrying that it had spread. I clearly remember being sat in the hospital saying to the doctor that I was worried about where it was going to end and I couldn't spend the next few years panicking that it had spread on top of dealing with the pain. It's a big decision but you may find that after a few months you will be able to take hrt until you're 50 anyway. Good luck, making the decision is always difficult but once you've made it you'll be counting down to the op - just make sure you prepare and expect to not be able to lift a single thing after they do it!!
Thank you for replying! I'm thinking maybe just have them taken out at the same time has my hysterectomy because I will be having a bladder prolapse repair has well at the same time and don't want to be in the same position in a few years having to have a operation to remove them if necessary.
Thank you for replying! I'm thinking maybe just have them taken out at the same time has my hysterectomy because I will be having a bladder prolapse repair has well at the same time and don't want to be in the same position in a few years having to have a operation to remove them if necessary.
Thank you for replying! I'm thinking maybe just have them taken out at the same time has my hysterectomy because I will be having a bladder prolapse repair has well at the same time and don't want to be in the same position in a few years having to have a operation to remove them if necessary.
Hi there, I had a total hysterectomy at about the same age as you (I'm now nearly 50) and didn't really (or so the consultant says) have any choice about losing my ovaries as they were shot to pieces by cysts and previous cyst removal. However I wish I could have kept at least one ovary for the following reasons:
Firstly loss of testosterone which has severely affected my sex drive and, as a result, relationship with my husband. When I do have sex, orgasms are not as good. I've tried using testosterone gel but it's messy, I think has been responsible for giving me horrendous spots and hasn't made a massive difference. Lack of testosterone has also made me less positive about life generally, though may be other factors too. I guess I just don't feel the same as I used to. I don't think there is enough research into this area.
Secondly HRT has been a pain to get right and I felt wierd and depressed on one in particular. You might need to try out a couple before you get it right, though make sure you take one suitable for endo sufferers. I'm now on Livial which suits me OK.
Thirdly I worry about long term consequences - now there is new evidence that losing ovaries before menopause increases risk of dementia and there is the effect on bones and heart. If you do lose your ovaries it's really important to take HRT for these reasons. Starting HRT early apparently doesn't increase breast cancer risks.
Also I should point out that I have had lots of episodes of pain, the same as I used to get. Whether the surgeon didn't remove all the endo properly (though he says he did), the bit that was left on my bowel, or whether it is just result of adhesions from operations we don't know. It's definitely nothing like as bad as I used to get though, and I definitely don't regret having a hysterectomy. Also as I went straight onto HRT so have had no hot flushes or other menopause symptoms which has been great.
This is just my experience but I hope it is helpful. It might be worth googling the long term effects of ovary removal and see what comes up. It's definitely worth doing some research first.
Thank you for replying, It seems they is pros and cons of keeping them or having them taken out I will after discuss with my consultant which is the best option foe me, the one I seen yesterday is all for taking them out but I have got to see my regular consultant before my operation is scheduled she may advice me another way.
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