Hysterectomy: Necessity or Convenience

Nurses General Nursing

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Extensive and/or frequent bleeding is not unusual in menopausal women - it is inconvenient and perhaps potentially life threatening, but not usually. Women have experienced it for hundreds of years, more now (last 100 years) as the population has aged significantly. But we have a convenient relief - used to be a hysterectomy, but now most go for ablation first. If that does not work then the hys. Alternatives include waiting it out and increasing your iron and fluid intake and exercise. So is treatment a medical necessity or a convenience?

Specializes in Public Health, DEI.
Insurance companies. Sadly. And shame on us for letting them get by with having usurped that right.

I do agree with you that insurance companies determine what constitutes necessity if we are asking them to pay for it. To me, that part of it can be left out of this particular discussion- meaning, I guess, that what I'm saying is assuming that funds to pay for a hysterectomy are available through some source, who defines necessity? The woman who is suffering and her doctor (and if you're suffering and your doc isn't on your side, time to change docs!!!!) or some third party who thinks they know better than you what you need?

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I am actually going to see my OB soon to discuss some issues. I think most women have tried the "other routes" before they even consider surgery. However, as one who has to literally get up about 4 times a night to change multiple pads/tampons and leaking through all of those as well I will be considering some of those options. As I am not sure I'm done having children yet I know it won't be those invasive/permanent options.

All I can say is once you've expereinced bleeding like that nothing is considered "too trivial" to consider. :uhoh3:

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Specializes in NICU, ER, OR.

WEll, I have *small* uterine fibroids, and for the last 6 years, (I am 34) I have had lg clot producing monster periods, intertwined with the rest of the months of light flow normal type bleeding continuously, meaning ALL month long. My gyn says he wants to keep me off the table until the fibroids grow more in number, or in size. I am no where near menopause, so I am wanting the hysterectomy.

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Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.

I don't think that there's anyone that would consider anything as serious as a hys simply because they're tired of buying pads or tampons. Usually there are more serious issues to consider like severe bleeding, pain, etc... hardly a mere "inconvenience."

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

I gleefully ripped out coupons for sanitary products and hand them to younger friends: "HERE! I don't need these any more!!" They were begging me to quit doing that!

Sorry, i got this mental image of you skipping down the hall and throwing coupons left and right like a flower girl at a wedding lol.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

One thing i haven't understood, mainly because i've been surrounded by a group of -thank-God-it's-gone women (even one who threa a going-away party for her uterus, cake, songs, and all), is the women who almost 'mourn' the 'loss' of their uterus, if you know what i mean.

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Extensive and/or frequent bleeding is not unusual in menopausal women - it is inconvenient and perhaps potentially life threatening, but not usually. Women have experienced it for hundreds of years, more now (last 100 years) as the population has aged significantly. But we have a convenient relief - used to be a hysterectomy, but now most go for ablation first. If that does not work then the hys. Alternatives include waiting it out and increasing your iron and fluid intake and exercise. So is treatment a medical necessity or a convenience?

all depends on why? my gf had cysts the size of grapefruits and wanted to look at alternative therapy however the pain was incredible and she had a hysterectomy. some health insurances have a treatment decision nurse that will give you information of options of some conditions(this is one) so the woman can decide if she wants a 2nd opinion.

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Specializes in Public Health, DEI.
One thing i haven't understood, mainly because i've been surrounded by a group of -thank-God-it's-gone women (even one who threa a going-away party for her uterus, cake, songs, and all), is the women who almost 'mourn' the 'loss' of their uterus, if you know what i mean.

I think for some people it is a defining measure of their femininity. For me, not so much. When the day comes that I lose this thing, I might thank it for my son, but now that that train has left the station, it can go to those happy discarded organs hunting grounds in the sky as far as I'm concerned.

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Specializes in LTC and Retirement Home.
One thing i haven't understood, mainly because i've been surrounded by a group of -thank-God-it's-gone women (even one who threa a going-away party for her uterus, cake, songs, and all), is the women who almost 'mourn' the 'loss' of their uterus, if you know what i mean.

:lol2: that would be me too... i had a party pre-hysterectomy, and we all enjoyed it very much.

and i also celebrated the first anniversary of my blessed "loss", and everyone from work attended.

maybe, if the hysterectomy was an emergency procedure, without time to mentally prepare, it may be those women who mourn?

i had my surgery for fibroids and endo five years ago, after bleeding like a stuck pig 3 weeks per month, with cramps that put me in bed for 3 days minimum, for at least 15 years.

i do not mourn. :lol2:

karen

ladylurker

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Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.
Sorry, i got this mental image of you skipping down the hall and throwing coupons left and right like a flower girl at a wedding lol.

Mostly, just sitting around the break room table on Sundays, cutting them out of the paper, and offering them to folks. I got a lot of "aw, shut the heck up w/your dang coupons" in return!!

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Even if it is for convenience, what is wrong with convenience?

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Even if it is for convenience, what is wrong with convenience?

Do you mean just "convenience" just for the fact that someone is tired of having cramps or their period every month? I think the main concern is that people need to realize that this is MAJOR surgery. I would hope that the docs would be counseling them about just how dangerous major surgery can be and the risks of dying due to anesthesia or hemmorhage have to outweigh the "inconveniece" of the problems they are having.

I know that most times things don't go wrong, but I think people are way too "blase" about sugery these days. This goes for "elective" anything; cosmetic surgery, elective c-sect, elective hysterectomies, etc.

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