{"id":17589,"date":"2024-12-02T14:57:05","date_gmt":"2024-12-02T15:57:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=17589"},"modified":"2024-12-02T16:24:50","modified_gmt":"2024-12-02T16:24:50","slug":"five-questions-to-ask-your-doctor-when-weighing-a-hysterectomy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=17589","title":{"rendered":"Five Questions to Ask Your Doctor When Weighing a Hysterectomy"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><\/div>\n<p id=\"article-summary\" class=\"css-79rysd e1wiw3jv0\">Many patients are confused about what their surgeons are planning. Here\u2019s how to get the details.<\/p>\n<section class=\"meteredContent css-1r7ky0e\">\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\" data-testid=\"companionColumn-0\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The most common reason for a hysterectomy, the removal of the uterus, is to address chronic sources of pain and bleeding that can disrupt daily life \u2014 including fibroids, endometriosis, menstrual disorders and pelvic organ prolapse. A rising reason is a patient\u2019s desire to align anatomy with lived gender.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Despite being called <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/22678393\/elective-surgery-nonessential-trans-gender-affirming-hysterectomy\" title rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">\u201celective\u201d by doctors<\/a>, the procedure can be life-changing, and in some cases, even lifesaving. But hysterectomies are typically not emergency surgeries \u2014 meaning patients have time to ask questions and weigh all their options. To make sure you know exactly what you\u2019re agreeing to, here are five questions to ask your doctor.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"css-13o6u42 eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-5c63cbac\">Can you go over the reproductive organs and explain which ones you will be removing?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Dr. Karen Tang, who is a gynecological surgeon and the author of the book \u201cIt\u2019s Not Hysteria,\u201d about reproductive health, begins her consultations by sketching the reproductive system out on a whiteboard.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Then, she explains which organs she plans to remove and why. When she and a patient go over a surgical consent form, she translates any technical terms into lay language. For instance, \u201ctotal laparoscopic hysterectomy with bilateral salpingectomy\u201d becomes \u201cremoval of the uterus, cervix, and fallopian tubes, leaving the ovaries behind.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"Dropzone-1\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\" data-testid=\"companionColumn-1\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">If a visual helps you understand, bring in a diagram yourself and ask your doctor to refer to it. If your consent form does not include plain language, have your doctor define unfamiliar terms or write nonmedical definitions on the form. Your surgeon should be able to explain why each organ is to be removed, and the risks and benefits of each option.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">If the words \u201cpartial\u201d or \u201ctotal\u201d come up, ask your doctor to slow down and explain exactly what they mean. In general, surgeons should avoid these terms, because they are used inconsistently, Dr. Tang said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"css-1336jj\">\n<div class=\"css-121kum4\">\n<div class=\"css-171d1bw\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-asuuk5\">\n<div class=\"css-7axq9l\" data-testid=\"optimistic-truncator-noscript\">\n<div data-testid=\"optimistic-truncator-noscript-message\" class=\"css-6yo1no\">\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">We are having trouble retrieving the article content.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1dv1kvn\" id=\"optimistic-truncator-a11y\">\n<hr \/>\n<p>Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.nytimes.com\/auth\/login?response_type=cookie&amp;client_id=vi&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F12%2F02%2Fhealth%2Fhysterectomy-questions-answers.html&amp;asset=opttrunc\">log into<\/a>\u00a0your Times account, or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F12%2F02%2Fhealth%2Fhysterectomy-questions-answers.html\">subscribe<\/a>\u00a0for all of The Times.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1g71tqy\">\n<div data-testid=\"optimistic-truncator-message\" class=\"css-6yo1no\">\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Thank you for your patience while we verify access.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Already a subscriber?\u00a0<a data-testid=\"log-in-link\" class=\"css-z5ryv4\" href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.nytimes.com\/auth\/login?response_type=cookie&amp;client_id=vi&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F12%2F02%2Fhealth%2Fhysterectomy-questions-answers.html&amp;asset=opttrunc\">Log in<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Want all of The Times?\u00a0<a data-testid=\"subscribe-link\" class=\"css-z5ryv4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F12%2F02%2Fhealth%2Fhysterectomy-questions-answers.html\">Subscribe<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many patients are confused about what their surgeons are planning. Here\u2019s how to get the details.The most common reason for a hysterectomy, the removal of the uterus, is to address chronic sources of pain and bleeding that can disrupt daily life \u2014 including fibroids, endometriosis, menstrual disorders and pelvic organ prolapse. A rising reason is a patient\u2019s desire to align anatomy with lived gender.Despite being called \u201celective\u201d by doctors, the procedure can be life-changing, and in some cases, even lifesaving. But hysterectomies are typically not emergency surgeries \u2014 meaning patients have time to ask questions and weigh all their options. To make sure you know exactly what you\u2019re agreeing to, here are five questions to ask your doctor.Can you go over the reproductive organs and explain which ones you will be removing?Dr. Karen Tang, who is a gynecological surgeon and the author of the book \u201cIt\u2019s Not Hysteria,\u201d about reproductive health, begins her consultations by sketching the reproductive system out on a whiteboard.Then, she explains which organs she plans to remove and why. When she and a patient go over a surgical consent form, she translates any technical terms into lay language. For instance, \u201ctotal laparoscopic hysterectomy with bilateral salpingectomy\u201d becomes \u201cremoval of the uterus, cervix, and fallopian tubes, leaving the ovaries behind.\u201dIf a visual helps you understand, bring in a diagram yourself and ask your doctor to refer to it. If your consent form does not include plain language, have your doctor define unfamiliar terms or write nonmedical definitions on the form. Your surgeon should be able to explain why each organ is to be removed, and the risks and benefits of each option.If the words \u201cpartial\u201d or \u201ctotal\u201d come up, ask your doctor to slow down and explain exactly what they mean. In general, surgeons should avoid these terms, because they are used inconsistently, Dr. Tang said.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and\u00a0log into\u00a0your Times account, or\u00a0subscribe\u00a0for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber?\u00a0Log in.Want all of The Times?\u00a0Subscribe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17591,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17589","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17589"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17589\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17592,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17589\/revisions\/17592"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}