International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

Having a hysterectomy prior to the menopause has been associated with an increased risk of early ovarian failure by newly published women's health research.

A study led by Patricia Moorman of the Cancer Prevention, Detection and Control Research Program in North Carolina in the US and detailed in the December issue of the Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology analysed the cases of female patients between the ages of 30 and 47.

It discovered those who underwent a hysterectomy are almost twice as likely to experience ovarian failure than people who did not, but it was not clear whether this was due to the surgery or the underlying condition that made the operation necessary.

"[However], physicians and patients should take into account this possible sequela when considering options for treatment of benign conditions of the uterus," the authors wrote.

Around 40,000 hysterectomies are performed by the NHS in the UK every year, mostly on women in their 40s.

Posted by Alexandra George