Community Based Study of Hysterectomy Outcomes. Abstract, Executive Summary andFinal Report

摘要

The study examined the long term effects of hysterectomy and oophorectomy onpsychosocial and physical outcomes in a population-based sample of women aged 50 and older. In newly collected data from 1256 women, 25.7% reported hysterectomy with ovarian conservation and 23.2% reported hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy. Based on subsets of previously and newly collected data, analyses indicated that hysterectomized women were more likely than naturally menopausal women to engage in preventive health behaviors that require an active role and are sustained over time such as making dietary and lifestyle changes. Hysterectomized women were also more likely to report increased life satisfaction following hysterectomy, but there were no effects on general life satisfaction. Bilateral oophorectomy, but not hysterectomy itself, was associated with increase depression, but this was a short term effect confined to those five or fewer years postmenopause. Bilateral oophorectomy, but not hysterectomy itself, also had deleterious effects for heart disease risk factors that do not become apparent until many years after surgery. Finally, hysterectomy was not associated with increased vasomotor symptons, bilateral oophorectomy did not have a long-term negative effect on bone density, and few differences in incontinence by hysterectomy or oophorectomy status were found.