Hi all
My wife has fiberoids on her uterus and her doctor has given her the options of either having surgery to remove the fiberoids or having a hysterectomy. She is 32 yrs old and we already have 3 children, we are not planing on having anymore. But we know that a full hysterectomy means taking medication for estro. but what about if we just have her uterus removed? would that by a wise choice? what are the side effects?, would she still have to take medication or get a period every month? can the fiberoids come back in another area?
Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated
pacu

Hi pacu

As I understand it, if the uterus is removed then the fibroids will not come back.

There are 3 options I think

1) Sub total hysterectomy: This is removal of uterus, leaving ovaries and cervix.
2) Total hysterectomy: Removal of uterus including cervix (the cervix is actually the bottom part of uterus)
3) Total hysterectomy + oopherectomy: Removal of uterus, cervix and ovary/ies

The ovaries are worth saving to avoid surgical menopause which at 32 y/old is important. But ovary failure can sometimes occur after a hyster.
The cervix is debateable and I still have to make my own mind up on that one. There is a risk that you can still have "mini-periods" as there may be some endometrial cells on the cervix if the uterus is not removed far enough down, and she would also still have to have cervical smear tests.

Its a difficult choise isn't it but I think its great that you are involved enough to post questions. My husband would not know what a uterus was unless it was part of a car engine :jester: . Good luck

ktee

I had a full hysterectomy at age 36. I never felt better in my life. Though I wish I had kept the ovaries to keep the estrogen production. It's not good to be on ERT such a long time.. and she will need it being so young. If your wife can keep hers I think she should consider that option.
Take care and good luck.
Di

I had a total hysterectomy when I was 39. No children, but total hell periods from endometriosis as well as fibroids. I've never regretted it a day even though I've had to use estrogen (mostly by patch which is a lower dosage).

Now at age 50, I'm starting to lessen the estrogen amount and will eventually go off it I think.

If your wife has no problem with her ovaries, she could consider to keep them. It could be left open that once the doc is in there and her ovaries have endo or cysts..etc that they be removed based on the doc's judgement.

I've never regretted it one day. But, what I would never have is the cervix left. Just something else that would have to be checked for possible cancer. And now in saying that....with ovaries gone, ovarian cancer would be another possible cancer one wouldn't have to worry about (especially since it's rarely caught early).


I'd rather only go through it once, take the meds and get on with life.

She'll be going through menopause if her ovaries are left intact and will eventually have to deal with those issues anyway.

My perspective,
quincy

Well thanks for all your responses and advice, as you women know this is not easy on my wife and at times I feel like she doesn't even want to talk about it. We are going to have a second opinion b4 making our final decision. Again thanks.
pacu

Believe me, I KNOW it isn't easy. At least you have your family already. I don't have children, now I'm too old to have or want them, and I'd love to get rid of my uterus - it causes me nothing but discomfort and fatigue. But I'm much older than your wife (45), and women feel SO differently at different ages.

Well kerry you're right it isnt easy, just last night my wife broke down and cried for a while and there really wasnt much that I could say, other than I'll be supportive as much as I can. I'll tell you something, after having my daughter and now being faced with this, has shown me to value women and see them totally different, you women sure go thru alot of stuff we men sometimes dont understand. And I know that alot of women dont have supportive hubands by their side and that makes alot of difference and helps a whole lot to a woman/wife.
pacu

Has your wife considered Uterine Artery Embolization? This procedure leaves the uterus intact and shrinks the fibroids over several months by cutting off their blood supply. If it's just fibroids that are causing her problems each month, it's definitely worth looking into. Don't leave any stone unturned and educate yourselves as much as you can before making a decision. Best of luck!

Pacu, I just saw your post for the first time and wondered what decision you and your wife made re treatment for her fibroid. I thought I would give you my experience.

Eleven years ago I had a fast-growing fibroid which needed to be removed. My gynecologist said he might as well do a hysterectomy as long as he was at it and I said not to do it unless it was absolutely necessary in order to remove the fibroid. As it turned out, he was able to remove it (by then it was grapefruit-sized) and preserve my uterus, as it was hanging by a stalk off the outside of my uterus. All he did was snip the cord that held it and pulled it on out of there.

Five years later I was diagnosed with breast cancer, which precludes any kind of HRT. So if I had needed hormones following hysterectomy I would have had to stop them and wouldn't have any protection against osteoporosis, which runs in my family and which I now have. But I believe it would have been a lot worse if I'd had to stop taking HRT 6 years ago.

pacu, I wish I had that option!! My fibroids are embedded in the uterus and can't be removed. To get rid of them I'll need a hysterectomy (which I'm seriously considering, I'm sick of this bleeding).

If I were in your wife's position, I would take the conservative route and have the fibroids removed, but not the uterus. The jury's still out on how important the uterus is to a woman's overall health. It IS a major organ, if not a vital one, which is why I would suggest going the conservative route.

I had my hyster 11 years ago at age 29. I had my uterus and cervix removed but my ovaries remained and to this day I have not experienced any symptoms of menopause. I'm turning 40 this year and I feel GREAT!

If you've had your children (as we had) and your wife is miserable with the pain and periods -- Have the uterus and cervix removed if thats what the Doc's suggest. She'll feel 100% better. I know I did!