By: Beth Walsh for Fibroids1About 20 percent of women in the United States have a hysterectomy, even though the surgery could well be unnecessary and avoidable. More than 600,000 American women undergo a hysterectomy every year at a cost of $5 billion. By the age of 60, one in three women will have had a hysterectomy. When compared to other countries, the rate in the United States is much higher – it is twice as high as the rate in England and four times the rate in Sweden.
Hysterectomies remove all or part of the womb, or uterus, and may also involve the fallopian tubes, ovaries, cervix and part of the vagina. Uterine fibroids are the reason for about one-third of hysterectomies. Survey results released last fall found that fewer than half of women afflicted with uterine fibroid tumors are being informed by their gynecologists of a minimally invasive alternative to hysterectomy, the most common treatment for the condition. Forty percent of women diagnosed with fibroid tumors were told by their gynecologists about a less invasive procedure compared with 58 percent of women who were told about hysterectomy.
Over the past few years, surgical and treatment advances have changed the landscape. Some researchers say that only the 10 percent of hysterectomies performed to treat gynecological cancers are necessary. For the other 90 percent, patients might find relief of their symptoms, such as pain and excessive bleeding, through newer techniques, medications, exercises and changes in diet. If a hysterectomy is necessary, many patients could avoid an open surgical procedure. Hysterectomy can be performed via laparoscopic or minimally invasive surgery, in which the surgeon uses instruments inserted through small incisions.
According to a statement published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in 2003, “hysterectomy should only be performed for medical reasons, and only after alternative options have been discussed and explored with the patient. If a physician advises a hysterectomy, women should consider getting opinions from one or more other physicians. In the case of fibroids, which are non-cancerous tumors growing in or on the uterus, women may need to do nothing at all, particularly if the fibroids are not causing any problems. For women who are experiencing problems such as pelvic pain, bleeding, or infertility problems, other causes should be ruled out before treating fibroids.”
