A Mayo Clinic study has shown that hysterectomy without removal of ovaries increases risk of heart disease. Women who had a hysterectomy before age 35 are at a particularly high risk. Specifically, their risk was 4.6-fold for congestive heart failure and 2.5-fold for coronary artery disease. But this association is not new. This 1981 study […]
Should I Have a Hysterectomy?I had some spotting once that led to the OBGYN to do an ultrasound test. The test showed that the endometrial lining was thicker than normal. I am on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and have been on it for 5 years. Prior to that, I was on birth control pills for […]
Everything slows down as we age. For some lucky folks, aging happens gracefully with nary a disease in sight. For others, the springs start popping off around 40 and by the time we reach ‘old age’ our bodies and brains are barely functioning. Arguably, diet and lifestyle have something to do with how well or […]
The hysterectomy and oophorectomy industry continues to flourish. There are over 600,000 hysterectomies every year. The oophorectomy rate is about 70% of the hysterectomy rate, some performed at the time of hysterectomy and others as separate surgeries. About 90% of these surgeries are for benign conditions (elective). These are merely estimates based on samples of […]
Gynecologic surgeries, namely hysterectomy (uterus removal), oophorectomy (ovary removal) and C-sections, are the top overused procedures in the U.S. Only 10%, at most, of hysterectomies (and probably fewer oophorectomies) are considered necessary as cited in the “Hysterectomy Facts” section of this article. The 90% “elective” rate would indicate that these surgeries are “restorative” or at […]
As a child, I endured every form of abuse. Both of my parents were mentally and emotionally abusive. I was beaten and experienced two severe head injuries that were never treated. One incident involved falling head first out of a moving vehicle. My brother grabbed my legs, but my head hit the pavement several times […]
Hysterectomies and C-sections are two of the most overused surgeries. One in three women has a hysterectomy by age 60 and about half eventually have one. Approximately 600,000 women undergo hysterectomy annually, 50,000 to 60,000 of which are for a cancer diagnosis. This graph (figure B) depicts the number done for cancer (which are typically […]
I have always preferred natural processes. I had four natural births using Lamaze technique. I breastfed. I was a registered nurse. I knew my ob-gyn doctors for years. I never expected my life to take a sharp and unnecessary turn for the worse, but it did, after I had, what was an essentially unneeded hysterectomy […]