Ovaries….keep or remove?!

[Tomkat79]

Hi
I’m 43 and booked for a hysterectomy in august for heavy periods.
she’s offered me either a total where they’d take my ovaries or I can keep them.
would love to know if anyone can give me an honest account of how they feel on oestrogen only HRT?
Thanks

I think it depends on the reason for the hysterectomy.

Surgical menopause can be very hard for some people, even with HRT. Some may find it OK, but you won't know which one you will be! I would keep them unless there is a reason to have them removed.

What about just removing Fallopian tubes but keeping the ovaries? That way you reduce your risk of ovarian cancer by 90% but won't go into early menopause.

I have recently had surgary where it was certain I would loose one ovary (which I did) and it was uncertain if I would loose both ovarys.

I had no say in how it would go, the surgeon made the judgement about if ovary 2 could be saved or not during the operation and thankfully it could.

Having researched on the impact of loosing both ovaries, both in the short term, and longer term, i would NEVER choose to have both removed.
It seems having 1 is almost as good as having 2, but if you have the choice, if it were me, I would definitely opt to keep them, if at all possible.

I was hugely relived to wake up and find I still had 1 ovary

I'm due for surgery tomorrow. 47.5 years old. Not yet in peri. Removal due to bad periods, fibroids and other issues. No kids.

My specialist has recommended taking the womb, cervix and tubes. Leaving the ovaries behind if they look good when he's in there.

Abdominal not keyhole due to complications.

Looking forward to no more uncontrollable bleeding and never having to endure a smear again either.

Depending on your current peri / meno status, do you have an option to keep them? Would they still be useful for hormonal regulation until peri sets in?

My consultant said their advice was if you’re over 50, remove. Under 45, keep. In between, it’s an even balance.

I’m 48 and chose to have them removed. So glad I did. The monthly rollercoaster is over, the HRT keeps me even and steady. My anxiety and bloating are gone. I feel like I’m 38 again, literally. So glad it’s all gone.

My mum got rid in 2009 of ovaries due to fibroids (had historectomy) early 50's and as she boastfully tells me, actually near went near HRT.

heavy periods or endometriosis? if the latter its not always a cure. either way I would keep the ovaries.

I kept my ovaries when I had my hysterectomy 5 years ago (I was 45). I started HRT patches a year ago after starting getting overheated at night and generally poor sleep. Using the patches had helped my sleep.

I kept mine. I had my OP at 49 and i am 60 now. I have never taken HRT.

I didn't keep mine and JFC chemical menopause is HARD

I'm biased my Mum got ovarian cancer in her late 60s, if only they had taken them out when she has her hysterectomy in her 40s.

This worries me as apparently it's not a now given that oestrogen only is best... and I can't tolerate progesterone. And I don't want to lose my cervix. I feel like I'm not ready for that to go.

I had a radical hysterectomy. Stage 4 endometriosis and various surgeries before hand, best thing I ever did, surgeon told me that there’s a chance the ovaries will go into premature ovarian failure post op due to the trauma of the surgery and I had major chocolate cysts with the endo so it was a no brainer for me. Took a while to find the right hrt dosage and it was a hard recovery but 4 years on and I’ve no complaints at all (39 yrs when I had the surgery)

My specialist has recommended taking the womb, cervix and tubes. Leaving the ovaries behind if they look good when he's in there.

Mine told me to remove everything inc ovaries to ensure I would be totally pain free.