I'm having a hysterectomy soon. Will this cause me to enter menopause?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz answered:Getting a hysterectomy does not mean you’ll enter menopause. That’s because not all types of hysterectomies, which remove the uterus, involve removing the ovaries. This is a personal decision usually based on age, health, and your doctor's recommendation. If you do have both ovaries removed (bilateral oophorectomy) before an age when most women naturally go through menopause, then you will go through menopause abruptly.
Lots of women opt for removal of the ovaries at the same time because they have a perceived or real vulnerability to ovarian cancer. But it isn't always necessary, especially if you’re still relatively young. Ideally, you want your body to make estrogen as long as possible, because there are serious health risks of estrogen loss in younger women. I will mention though that even when the ovaries are spared during a hysterectomy, the blood supply to the ovaries may be compromised and that might affect estrogen production.
Getting a hysterectomy does not mean you’ll enter menopause. That’s because not all types of hysterectomies, which remove the uterus, involve removing the ovaries. This is a personal decision usually based on age, health, and your... More -
Honor Society of Nursing (STTI) answered:By most definitions, you will not enter menopause just by having your uterus removed (a procedure called a hysterectomy). Sometimes when the uterus is surgically removed, the doctor also removes the ovaries. If the ovaries are taken out, you will enter menopause.
A woman enters menopause when she no longer has her periods (monthly menstrual cycles) and she’s no longer producing much estrogen. The ovaries release eggs as well as produce estrogen, which regulates monthly periods. If the ovaries are surgically removed, a woman does not have a natural source of estrogen, and she enters menopause. Menopause marks the end of a woman’s ability to have children.
By most definitions, you will not enter menopause just by having your uterus removed (a procedure called a hysterectomy). Sometimes when the uterus is surgically removed, the doctor also removes the ovaries. If the ovaries are taken out, you... More -
Riverside Women's Health answered:Sometimes, younger women need a hysterectomy to treat health problems such as endometriosis or cancer. A hysterectomy is an operation to remove a woman's uterus. Often one or both ovaries are removed at the same time the hysterectomy is done. If you haven't reached menopause, a hysterectomy will stop your period. But, you will reach menopause only if both ovaries are removed, called surgical menopause. Because surgical menopause is instant menopause, it can cause more severe symptoms than natural menopause. Menopause that is natural occurs as part of the natural aging process. You should talk with your doctor about how to best manage these symptoms.
Women who have a hysterectomy but have their ovaries left in place will not reach menopause at the time of surgery because their ovaries will continue to make hormones. But, because the uterus is removed, they will no longer have their periods and they cannot become pregnant. Later on, they might reach natural menopause a year or two earlier than expected.
This answer is based on source information from the National Women's Health Information Center.
Sometimes, younger women need a hysterectomy to treat health problems such as endometriosis or cancer. A hysterectomy is an operation to remove a woman's uterus. Often one or both ovaries are removed at the same time the hysterectomy is done. If you... More -
Dr. Lauren Streicher answered:Hysterectomy actually refers only to the removal of the uterus, and has nothing to do with the ovaries. And it’s your ovaries, not your uterus, which provides estrogen. Since removal of the ovaries is sometimes done at the time of hysterectomy, many people understandably, but mistakenly, think that is always part of the procedure. Women under the age of 50 usually keep their ovaries unless they have a situation in which there is a problem with an ovary, or their ovaries are contributing to their problem, as in the case of severe endometriosis. If you keep your ovaries (a choice you can make!), nothing will change hormonally.Hysterectomy actually refers only to the removal of the uterus, and has nothing to do with the ovaries. And it’s your ovaries, not your uterus, which provides estrogen. Since removal of the ovaries is sometimes done at the time of... More
