Hysterectomy after Menopause
February 9th, 2010 | by penny davis |There are some medical conditions in women that can be treated only by a hysterectomy, a surgical procedure where the uterus is removed. It may be necessary to perform this procedure for cases like fibroids, cancer, heavy bleeding, and other diseases that concern the reproductive system of a woman.
In the treatment of cancer, for example, it may be required to remove the uterus. The other reproductive organs, namely the fallopian tubes, the cervix, and the ovaries, may also be removed so that the cancer doesn’t spread. The same may be performed to treat excessive bleeding.
A woman whose ovaries are removed immediately goes into menopause after the hysterectomy. In turn, this makes her incapable of bearing children.
But how do women already in the menopause stage respond to a hysterectomy? Are there different effects of hysterectomy after menopause compared to having the hysterectomy before menopause? Well, it’s possible for women who have hysterectomy after menopause to either encounter considerable changes in their body or not.
A woman goes into post menopause after undergoing a complete hysterectomy where the fallopian tubes, cervix, ovaries, and uterus are removed. At this point, the woman’s body ceases to produce progesterone and estrogen. This, in turn, increases the testosterone level in the body, causing some masculine features to manifest. These include an increased growth of hair on the chin and on the upper lip.
Vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes are also among the effects of a complete hysterectomy. To relieve a woman of these, she may need to undergo some kind of hormone replacement therapy. In addition, the woman may get an increased deposition of fat on the abdomen, thighs, and hips.
Psychological effects are immediately experienced by a woman who has undergone a hysterectomy after menopause. However, the bouts of depression that she experiences are mild and short-lived. Women who undergo hysterectomy after menopause usually don’t experience many physical or psychological changes because the ovaries have stopped working by this time and having them removed doesn’t matter anymore.
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