Uterine fibroids are a common condition that affects up to 80% of women in their lifetime. Nearly half of those women will experience symptoms that affect their quality of life and fertility, including severe pain and anemia. Uterine fibroids are the major reason for the removal of the uterus by hysterectomy.
However, Mayo Clinic researchers recommend minimally invasive treatment alternatives to hysterectomy, in an invited clinical practice paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine . "Less invasive treatments can help women recover faster and resume their normal activities more quickly. Additionally, many studies have now shown that there are health benefits to keeping the uterus and the ovaries," says Shannon Laughlin-Tommaso, M.
D., Mayo Clinic OB-GYN and co-lead author of the paper. Removing the uterus, even while sparing the ovaries, increases the risks of cardiovascular disease, depression, anxiety and higher mortality.
These risks are higher for people who get their uteruses removed at a young age. Women contemplating a hysterectomy deserve counseling about these risks since there are other less invasive options for many women with fibroids." Shannon Laughlin-Tommaso, M.
D., Mayo Clinic A recent study found that nearly 60% of women undergoing hysterectomy for fibroids had not received a less invasive treatment first. Having alternative options to hysterectomy allow women to maintain their uteruses for longer.
These alternatives include medical therapies, horm.
