Hysterectomy

[var12]

If you have a hysterectomy including ovaries, do you wake up from the operation post-menopausal and symptom free (i.e. no mood swings, hot flushes etc)

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but you go into sudden menopause which for me meant extreme hot flushes and symptoms!

Unfortunately not. Mine didn't start as soon as I woke from operation but within a month or so I was having menopausal symptoms and I had hysterectomy with both ovaries taken out too.
It's nearly a year since my operation so more than happy to answer any questions if that could help.

Sorry, same here hot flushes within the week.

Is the menopause like being on a train that is slowly coming to a stop, so you get withdrawal symptoms but in a managed way and over a long time. However, with a hysterectomy, someone has pulled the emergency stop handle i.e. its worse for a bit but over quickly?

I am trying to make a decision and weighing up the pros and cons.

What's the recovery from a hysterectomy like?

There are two phases to the menopause: peri meno which is the lead up to menopause and can take anything from 2 years to 10 years ( symptoms are irregular periods, hot flushes, mood swings etc) and then post menopause which is when periods have stopped for 12 months (and forever) and the symptoms of peri can carry on - sometimes for a few years but sometimes forever as they are caused by loss of oestrogen.

Having a 'surgical' menopause means you won't get symptoms gradually but possibly overnight or within a few weeks. These might last for a few months , years or forever. My consultant says he sees women who never ever get rid of the symptoms and my mum certainly still had hot flushes in her 80s.

I hope your drs have discussed HRT with you already?

I had a radical hysterectomy (uterus, ovaries, Fallopian tubes, cervix and omentum) due to ovarian cancer. It was an abdominal hysterectomy and was cut from ribs to pubic bone. I had the surgery on Monday evening and was home Friday lunchtime and back to work five weeks later. I was worried about pain and I had hardly any just make sure that you rest a lot and don't lift anything.

I had mine nearly 7 years ago, couldn't go on HRT because of risks. Had really bad hot flushes for first 18 months to 2 years, still have daily hot flushes and nighttime ones but more manageable now!