Hysterectomy is dead!

The post Hysterectomy is dead! appeared first on Hysterectomy Association. Of course this is an overstatement, but even though an exaggeration, it makes a firm point. I have been a gynaecologist for over 30 years and in that time-span, the practice of gynaecology has been transformed. It is now a great rarity to need to remove a uterus other than for malignant disease, severe endometriosis, prolapse, or enormous size. There are simply less risky, less painful ways of dealing with period problems and pelvic pain. The statistics bear this out. In 2002, around 33,000 women per annum had hysterectomies in the UK and by 2011 that number had fallen to 26,000. The same rate of fall has been noted in all other Western Countries, including the USA. The falling rate (most noticeable with abdominal hysterectomies, with the rate of vaginal hysterectomy remaining relatively constant) has plateaued since 2009, suggesting that the remaining operations are for indications which could not be dealt with by hormonal treatments, the Mirena or equivalent IUS, endometrial ablation using one technique or another, or fibroid embolisation. Hysterectomy rates in countries such as India remain controversially high. It is not just the immediate peri- and post-operative risks, pain and time spent recovering that concern me, although experiencing a woman die of a postoperative pulmonary embolus at the age of 42 years, leaving a young family, certainly focuses the mind. The only comfort in that case was th...
Source: The Hysterectomy Association - Category: OBGYN Authors: Tags: Alternatives to Hysterectomy embolisation heavy periods mirena coil pelvic pain Source Type: news