Call for fewer hysterectomy ops
Too many women may be undergoing hysterectomies for heavy periods when alternative treatments should be considered first, a study suggests.
An audit of 51,500 women in England found large variations in the type of surgery done for the condition.Overall, four in 10 women had a hysterectomy, but regional figures ranged from 25% to 54%.
Experts said women may not be given enough information about the treatment options available. Heavy menstrual bleeding, also called menorrhagia, can be caused by conditions such as endometriosis, fibroids and hormonal imbalance, and can severely impair a women's quality of life.
There are drug treatments available, but if the condition continues to be a problem, national guidance recommends a type of minor surgery which removes a layer from inside the wombThis technique, known as endometrial ablation, is associated with less risk than a hysterectomy which is recommended only as "a last option".
The audit published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology looked at rates of surgery for both options between 2003 and 2006.The researchers from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) found a four-fold difference overall in the use of surgery between different primary care trusts in England.
And the proportion of endometrial ablation operations varied from 46% to 75%.
News Source : Call for fewer hysterectomy ops
An audit of 51,500 women in England found large variations in the type of surgery done for the condition.Overall, four in 10 women had a hysterectomy, but regional figures ranged from 25% to 54%.
Experts said women may not be given enough information about the treatment options available. Heavy menstrual bleeding, also called menorrhagia, can be caused by conditions such as endometriosis, fibroids and hormonal imbalance, and can severely impair a women's quality of life.
There are drug treatments available, but if the condition continues to be a problem, national guidance recommends a type of minor surgery which removes a layer from inside the wombThis technique, known as endometrial ablation, is associated with less risk than a hysterectomy which is recommended only as "a last option".
The audit published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology looked at rates of surgery for both options between 2003 and 2006.The researchers from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) found a four-fold difference overall in the use of surgery between different primary care trusts in England.
And the proportion of endometrial ablation operations varied from 46% to 75%.
News Source : Call for fewer hysterectomy ops
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