Total Hysterectomy: Seven Factors To Consider When Choosing To Keep or Remove Your Ovaries

One of the hardest things for a woman to decide when she is facing a hysterectomy is if she should keep one of her ovaries or should she go ahead and have them both removed. Many times women will choose to get rid of both; mainly because they do not want to go through the surgery again. Ask a woman what she is most afraid of when it comes to having both of her ovaries and you may be surprised by the answer.

What is a woman afraid of when she has both her ovaries removed? She's, more than likely, terrified of doing hormone replacement therapy. How can a woman decide if she should remove both of her ovaries or keep one?

Listed below are some factors you need to consider before you undergo the procedure.

For starters, if you have a healthy ovary, then keep it. You are in good shape now with it and chances are will be years from now.

Second, your ovaries do a lot for you. Even if you must remove one, limited ovary function as regards to no ovary function is better than dealing with hormone replacement therapy. Women who are having surgical menopause tend to need hormone replacement therapy; yet, hormone replacement therapy cannot replicate the actual hormone.

Third, if you have a family history of certain uterine or ovarian disease such as endometriosis and ovarian cancer, then you should speak with your doctor before making any rash decisions.

Four, if a woman has a family history of a certain kind of disease; she may choose to remove the ovary to prevent the disease from occurring. Try to find out your family history.

Five, a woman who has an oopherectomy will often times undergo a hysterectomy because the endometriosis that has caused her significant problems was not cured the first time out.

Six, some women opt to leave in the ovary functioning correctly while removing the other one. Chances are the remaining ovary will take over for the missing one in terms of adequately supplying hormones to the body so keep this in mind.

Seven, women over 50 years old are often asked if they would like to remove their ovaries when a hysterectomy is performed. Doctors believe that, after this age, there is no reason to leave a woman's ovaries in because they have no more useful function. Make your own recommendation if you are over the age of 50.

Keep in mind that even as you approach menopause, your ovaries will continue to work, giving you the hormones you need and regulating other functions in your body. Some medical professionals believe that a woman's ovaries will fail within five years of the hysterectomy so there is no reason to leave them there, potentially subjecting her to another surgical procedure later on. If you have a healthy ovary, it's best to leave it there until you need to remove it.

Never make the decision of removing one or both of your ovaries in jest, as it is a serious matter. If you need a surgery down the road, it's actually less serious than the first surgery. You'll find that the laparoscopic surgery is less invasive than other surgery forms and can remove the ovaries quickly with a short recovery time.

Remember that there are uncertainties in a hysterectomy before and after. Make sure that you haven't "removed" all your options for the sake of convenience. Be certain that you question your decision until you are completely satisfied with the answer.