Portions of the essay were excerpted byThe Endometriosis Foundation of Americayesterday.
Here, experts share the most up-to-date information it’s crucial that you know about hysterectomies.
Department of Health and Human Services Office on Womens Health:
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Getty Images / Amanda Edwards / Stringer
Partial hysterectomy (also known as subtotal or supracervical):Only the uterus is removed.
Total hysterectomy:The uterus and cervix are both removed.
In all cases, a hysterectomy makes it impossible to carry a pregnancy since the uterus is gone.
Thats part of why the decision to get one can be so complex.
I may have felt choiceless before, but I know I have choices now, Dunhamwrote in the essay.
Adoption is a thrilling truth Ill pursue with all my might.
Also worth knowing: Removing the ovaries is the only way in which a hysterectomy can bring about earlymenopause.
That may sound confusingif youre worried about ovarian cancer, why leave the ovaries but not the fallopian tubes?
As it turns out,emerging researchhas shown that some ovarian cancers actually originate in the fallopian tubes.
But in some cases, they will recommend a hysterectomy for endometriosis if nothing else has worked.
The cause of endometriosis isnt completely clear, and thats part of why its often so hard to treat.
Now, laparoscopic surgery to excise every detectable endometrial lesion is considered the gold standard, Dr. Stratton says.
Thats typically considered a last resort, though.
Here are the most common reasons doctors will recommend someone consider a hysterectomy:
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They may also recommend birth control to make your period less hellish.
The ideal would be to do the most minimally invasive hysterectomy possible for the patient, Dr. Ritch says.
Heres whats available:
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Open hysterectomies are most common if someone has an enlarged uterus for some reason, like fibroids.
confirm a hysterectomy is truly necessary in your case or the best option for you.
If it is, you should also evaluate whether your doctor is the ideal person to perform your surgery.
You have to be your own best advocate.
