Information on hysterectomy and hormonal balance

by Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP & Marcy Holmes, Women’s Health NP

As the second most often performed surgical procedure on American women today, we hear so many questions about hysterectomy. Women are trying to decide whether to have one, seeking alternatives, looking for help in recovering from surgery, or asking how to stop their estrogen therapy many years afterwards.

At Women to Women we view these questions as part of a lifelong process in which the constant goal is hormonal balance. The good news is that you can restore your hormonal balance at any point, no matter where you find yourself now.

We’d like to emphasize that we are neither for nor against hysterectomy. Certainly a large number of hysterectomies performed in this country are medically unnecessary. But for many women they are wonderful. As one of our friends said after her hysterectomy, “My body feels at peace for the first time.” What matters is what’s right for you.

So whether you are in the decision stage, in the immediate recovery stage post surgery, or years down the road after hysterectomy, what’s most important is that you are as informed as possible. We’ve prepared the following series of articles to help you weigh all your options.

Our most popular resources on hysterectomy and alternatives

To access an article, just choose from the list of excerpts below. To find more articles, use the search function below. Don’t see a topic that’s important to you? Let us know.

• For women who have had a hysterectomy.
  Whether a woman has undergone elective hysterectomy or has had one under more dire circumstances, she will immediately enter surgical menopause. Some find immediate relief, while others feel as though they’ve fallen off a cliff. For years the standard conventional treatment has been prescription HRT, but many safe, effective alternatives exist to support your body through this transition — without drugs.
• For women considering a hysterectomy.
  We think every woman who faces a decision about hysterectomy should be fully aware of her options. Promising new imaging and surgical techniques are changing the way surgery is performed, offering women new options and alternatives to hysterectomy, and decreasing discomfort and recovery time.
• Uterine fibroids — and natural alternative to hysterectomy.
  Heavy and irregular bleeding caused by fibroids leads many women to the end of their gynecological rope. But hysterectomy recovery and side-effects can be just as problematic. The information in this article will allow you to take a step back and consider your alternatives.

 

Last Modified Date: 04/20/2011
Principal Author: Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP
& Marcy Holmes, Certified Menopause Clinician