Alternatives to Hysterectomy

Two of the most common problems women have that lead to thinking about hysterectomy are excessive menstrual bleeding and uterine fibroids. If you have one or both of these, perhaps you think that surgery is your only choice. But you should know that it’s not. There are alternatives to hysterectomy. Many are quite successful utilizing cutting-edge techniques and are much less invasive to the body.

About a third of American women have a hysterectomy by age 60. For some it goes smoothly and they have a relatively care-free experience. But for others it can be an abrupt entry into menopause causing severe hormonal symptoms and dependence on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which often has risks attached. Many women are unprepared for the debilitating side effects they experience after hysterectomy.

Weighing the benefits versus the risks of hysterectomy with your doctor considering your particular health condition and history, is something every woman must do when faced with this decision. As with everything, the more you know, the better equipped you will be to make the right choice for yourself. Consider carefully all the alternatives and new options available.

To be clear about the risks and what is involved with having a hysterectomy, review the basics. The uterus is also known as the womb, and “uter” is Latin for “bag”. The pelvic organ is suspended by ligaments between the bladder and rectum, and is connected to the vagina with a cervix. In Chinese, the word for uterus means “palace for the child”, which is, by any standard, just about the best description.

The fallopian tubes carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus. The lining (endometrium) of the uterus swells with each menstrual cycle becoming engorged in preparation for the implantation of a fertilized egg. The body sheds this lining with a period if the implantation does not happen. If implantation does occur, the uterus grows for nine months to accommodate the fetus’s growth, then shrinks back to pre-baby size after delivery. This process is orchestrated by the complex communication of your sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone). During your menstruating years, your ovaries are responsible for producing most of your body’s estrogen and progesterone.

Especially if you have been struggling with heavy bleeding or painful fibroids, it may seem easier to remove the reproductive organs in one fell swoop, as a hysterectomy would do. But consider when these organs are removed, naturally this change is going to bring on complications and confusion within the woman’s total body. Only within the last century has it been recognized that the brain has primary control over a woman’s emotions, and that the removal of her reproductive organs can often cause more problems than it solves. New insight into the aftermath of a total hysterectomy (including the ovaries) reveals that many women feel totally wrecked without the natural hormonal wash from their ovaries.

Before elective surgery, explore the many alternatives that treat heavy bleeding, endometriosis, fibroids, and polyps. Current treatment options include: medical/hormonal management, D&C and hysteroscopy, endometrial ablation and endometriosis excision, myomectomy, and uterine artery embolization (UAE).

Studies into other options are continuously underway, and new techniques are being developed and researched. Although the results of these innovations are mixed, the encouraging news is that these less invasive techniques do actually work. For many women hysterectomy is a choice, not their destiny.

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