Hysterectomy: Spare Ovaries, Boost Health?

Ovary Removal Decreases Ovarian Cancer Risk but Increases Risk of Heart Disease and Death, Study Says

Apr 21, 2009

(WebMD) Ovary removal during a hysterectomy is often done to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer . But doing so also boosts the risk of heart disease and death long-term, according to a new study.

For women without a strong family history of ovarian cancer or genetic predisposition to it, these heart disease and death risks appear to outweigh the benefit of the decreased cancer risk, says William H. Parker, MD, the study's lead author and a gynecologic surgeon and researcher at the John Wayne Cancer Institute at St. John's Health Center, Santa Monica, Calif. The study is published in the May issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

It's time to rethink the routine removal of ovaries, Parker says. "For the past 35 years, any woman over 40 or 45, when they needed a hysterectomy, would be told by the doctor, 'We should take out the ovaries to prevent ovarian cancer,'" Parker tells WebMD.

At the time of posting the related video link would not load properly, but the entire article is at this link: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/21/health/webmd/main4959715.shtml