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Gyn Cancer Surgeon Dr. Dwight Im, The Gynecology Center at Mercy, Addresses Pros and Cons of Ovary Removal
It used to be that if you were a woman of a certain age who was
having a hysterectomy, your ovaries were coming out as well.
However, physicians are now saying that may not be the right
decision, and many are reconsidering the procedure. New research
from the Mayo Clinic was reported in The Lancet indicating that
removal of ovaries may actually increase the risk of death in
women under the age of 45 who do not receive proper hormone replacement
therapy.
Forty-seven-year-old Robin Ghosh had a hysterectomy in the past
year because of heavy periods and spotting, she said.
"I really didn't have any use for it anymore. A lot of women
feel like they're not a woman anymore, but I do not need that
to tell me I'm a woman," Ghosh said.
While one ovary with a cyst was removed, Ghosh and Mercy Medical
Center gynecologic oncologist Dr. Dwight Im discussed removing
the other one.
"I said, 'No, I don't think so, I don't want to get slammed
into menopause,'" Ghosh had told doctors.
Dr. Im said that decision used to be based on age alone. Forty-five
or younger, leave them; older than 45, take them out, he said.
But times are changing.
"We're asking ourselves, 'Why are we taking out the ovaries
for no reason?' For many years, it was the fear of ovarian cancer,"
he said.
But it turns out that the incidents of ovarian cancer in those
women are very low.
“A recent study said women under 45 who had their ovaries
removed for reasons other than cancer had a significantly higher
death rate than women whose ovaries were intact. If the patient
has a family history of ovarian cancer, then we may want to consider
getting them out. On the other hand, if you have a family history
of osteoporosis, or heart disease and so on, it may be better
to leave them in," said Dr. Im.
Robin, with her one ovary, is now on low dose estrogen to help
with mood swings, and she said she feels great.
"If I felt any better, there would be two of me," she
said.
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