Too Many Hysterectomies Being Unnecessarily Performed

Tuesday, December 29, 2009 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer
Tags: hysterectomies, obstetrics, health news

(NaturalNews) Too many doctors are resorting to hysterectomies as a cure for a condition known as menorrhagia when other treatments are still available, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Menorrhagia refers to chronic abnormally heavy menstrual bleeding that lasts for longer than a normal period. It may be caused by underlying health problems such as blood clotting, endometriosis, hormonal imbalance, and uterine tumors. The condition can be treated with drugs or, if those fail, with a minor surgery known as endometrial ablation, in which the inner layer of the uterus is removed. Hysterectomy, or the removal of the entire uterus, is recommended as a last resort only.

An estimated one in 20 British women between the ages of 30 and 49 visits a doctor each year because of heavy menstrual bleeding.

The researchers found, however, that rates of hysterectomy and endometrial ablation varied widely between different primary care facilities across England between 2003 and 2006. Rates of endometrial ablation for treatment of menorrhagia varied between 46 and 75 percent, while the rates of hysterectomy varied fourfold.

"The rates of hysterectomy have gone down in recent years but what we still find concerning is this fourfold variation between the regions," said David Cromwell, from the Health Services Research Unit at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

According to Tamir Mahmood of the same institution, the study shows that informed consent guidelines set down by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) are not always being followed. According to the NICE rules, women must be informed of all their treatment options before giving consent to any irreversible procedure.

"Women need to be informed of the risks and benefits of each surgical option before decisions are made," Mahmood said.

Sources for this story include: news.bbc.co.uk.