LYCOS RETRIEVER
Hysterectomies
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Hysterectomies are the most common non-pregnancy surgery performed on women in the United States, with more than 600,000 performed each year. A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of a woman’s uterus and sometimes the ovaries and fallopian tubes as well.
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Hysterectomies are the second most common major surgical procedure for women after cesarean section, according to the study. More than 600,000 women have hysterectomies in the U.S. each year and about 40 percent of all women in the U.S. have had a hysterectomy by the time they are 60 years old.
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Hysterectomies are sometimes the only option for patients, as is the case for women who have certain types of cancer. However, studies suggest that the surgery is performed too often in this country. Women who have the option to explore other means of treatment should first become educated on all their choices and then consider a hysterectomy as a last resort.
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Hysterectomies are done through a cut in the abdomen (abdominal hysterectomy) or the vagina (vaginal hysterectomy). Sometimes an instrument called a laparoscope is used to help see inside the abdomen during vaginal hysterectomy. The type of surgery that is done depends on the reason for the surgery. Abdominal hysterectomies are more common and usually require a longer recovery time.
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Endometriosis: The second most common problem used to justify hysterectomies is endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition in which tiny islets of endometrium (inner lining cells of the uterus) become scattered in areas whey they don't belong :the fallopian tubes, within the uterine musculature an d on the outer surfaces of the uterus and other pelvic organs, the colon, the bladder and sides of the pelvic cavity. While the cause of endometriosis is unclear there is no doubt that it is a disease of the twentieth century since it was virtually unknown in the earlier part of this century. Dr. John Lee speculates that this disease has been spawned as the result of the xeno-estrogens (toxic oestrogens found in pesticides and herbicides) from the environment.28
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Treatment of endometriosis is the reason for 20% of hysterectomies. The endometrium is the lining of the uterus. Endometriosis is a condition that occurs when the cells from the endometrium begin growing outside the uterus. The outlying endometrial cells respond to the hormones that control the menstrual cycle, bleeding each month the way the lining of the uterus does. This causes irritation of the surrounding tissue, leading to pain and scarring.
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