Should I have abdominal hysterectomy?

[PhoebeFriends]

I have a 12cm fibroid which I can feel when I press on my tummy, it also makes me bloated and is uncomfortable but not painful.
My gynaecologist has said the options are an abdominal hysterectomy- including removal of ovaries because of a cyst - or put up with it - it’s unlikely to get any bigger as I’m late 40s so menopause is due to hit and this usually stops growth. But do I want menopause to come so quickly from surgery?
I have 4 weeks until a follow up appointment to decide what to do.
I want rid of the fibroid but am worried about a long recovery from surgery - should I just put up with what I wonder is minor discomfort or should I go for it and maybe after recovery I will feel great?
what would you do?

hmmm, i think only you can decide this and there's pros and cons for both. I was almost in the same situation although thankfully uterine artery embolisation seems to have shrunk my fibroids and made the bleeding manageable again. I would happily have gone for a keyhole hysterectomy but was somewhat less keen when the consultant said it would have to be abdominal due to the size of my uterus. I'm a very active person and live on my own so the recovery period would have been difficult.

The choice is entirely up to you, I think for me it would depend on whether I was uncomfortable. As yours is quite large it may be that you’ve got used to minor discomfort and don’t realise quite how much it impacts you as it’s grown slowly over time.

I had an abdominal hysterectomy 3 weeks ago (due to probably ovarian cancer but keyhole was not an option due to the size of the tumours) aged 36. So far so good to be honest, the first week was unpleasant, but not as painful as I had feared. From week 2 on I have felt quite good really, very little pain at all, but I can’t walk or stand for long periods yet. I would not have opted into this by choice at my age of course, but it’s really not as bad as I had thought it would be so far, and I can’t get over how skinny I feel and how much less tired I am since the op.

It’s easy for me to say when it’s not affecting me, but I think I’d have the op and go onto HRT.

I had a hysterectomy at 35 and have never regretted it. HRT keeps you on balance , it's not a big deal . You'll have a few weeks of recovery from the surgery but it's mainly having a sore tummy and not being able to lift anything heavy. I'd go for it if I was you. Fibroids definitely don't stop growing after menopause - a friend who is 60 recently had a hysterectomy for massive fibroids which had grown since menopause.

Hi there - I can see this is an old thread but since it's almost exactly my current situation... I'd love to hear how it turned out?

Hi @Kasali. I’m coming up to 3 months post surgery for a full abdominal hysterectomy. All went well and I feel positive it was the right decision- it took me a long time to decide to go ahead but it now seems strange how I had normalised the discomfort etc.

Menopause did hit me like a tonne of bricks a week after the op - intense hot flushes and brain fog. Fortunately, I have been prescribed HRT and my symptoms are improving.
I’m hoping to be a new me now the burden of the fibroid has gone - it seems strange to think how I’d intended to just put up with the symptoms- perhaps for the rest of my life.
I wish you well with your own situation- it’s not an easy decision to make.

I echo what @PhoebeFriends says. I’m three months post abdominal and can’t believe how many symptoms have gone. I had multiple large fibroids - I’m over half a stone lighter. I don’t have to find a toilet everywhere I go because the pressure on my bladder is gone. My tummy looks “normal” again - was never flat but it’s definitely as flat as it used to be, and I’m a trouser size down so I don’t look so pear shaped any more. Much happier with how I feel and look.