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Question: I have to decide whether or not to have my ovaries and cervix removed with my uterus, but I don’t know what the pros and cons are for removal of these organs. Can you tell me what the considerations are, aside from the fact that mine are currently healthy?
Our Answer: Well, the ovaries continue to produce hormones for long after the menopause, including testosterone which acts on mood and libido, small amounts of oestrogen and testosterone. The cervix helps to support the pelvic organs, acts as a barrier to infection and seems to play a significant part in the experience of orgasm in women. However, if you are in a high risk category for cervical or ovarian cancer it might be worth considering removing them. If you have endometriosis then removal of the ovaries is usually recommended and if you have a cancer that is progesterone or oestrogen sensitive then again they may be removed. Our recommendation is not to have anything removed unless you need it to be simply because no one yet knows how the body works in it’s entirety and we are just scraping the surface of understanding at the moment.
A hysterectomy that removes the cervix is called a ‘total hysterectomy’, one that leaves the cervix intact is called a ‘subtotal hysterectomy’.
If you don’t have your cervix removed when you have your hysterectomy you will continue to need regular smear tests (pap smear) as a precaution against cervical cancer. If you do have your cervix removed, you will no longer need to have smear tests done.
i have just found your website recently i am just waiting for my consultants appointment my nerves are getting to me and i am trying to stay positive. i have someone who has dealt with my doctor and they spoke very highly of him and that has really helped reading your info has also helped thank you. joyce
I had a total hysterectomy one year ago, aged 45, I still do not know why my cervix was removed, i believed i has no choice it was just part of the procedure until i found this sight. I’ve received no advice about hormone replacement, menopause or weight gain. Before the operation i was at the Gym six times a week and a size 8-10 i am now a big size 12 and stomach is a totally different shape, i’ve tried to return to the gym but i am constantly exhausted my fitness levels are none existence and i get so hot when exercising i feel i cannot breath. Is weight gain and round hard fat belly a thing i will have to endure for the rest of my life? I did return to the gym after eight weeks after i was given the okay from my consultant and by bladder collapsed, i had a bladder reconstruction at the same time. I had vaginal bladder repair last October so now i have no cervix and bulge scaring from the vaginal surgery. I am dieting and trying to attend the gym 2 -3 times a week but i just seem to keep getting heavier and rounder!! are there any diet tips or exercises that help?
Hi Natalie. Unfortunately there are no quick fixes for diet and exercise and I suspect the reason you find exercise so hard is because you’ve put the weight on and been ill for quite some time as well – try taking it slower and being a little kinder to yourself – your body has been through a lot recently and is still recovering.