Most women would have a hysterectomy again!

When asked ‘If you had to make the choice again, would you still have a hysterectomy?’ over 84% of patients said YES.

In July 2007, The Hysterectomy Association posted a quick survey on the web. The purpose was to identify areas for possible future research. Over the course of the one week that the survey was available, there were 1639 respondents. Whilst the majority of the answers were what would have been expected given the anecdotal evidence we have received over the past 12 years, there was one response that stunned even us.

When asked the question ‘If You Could Make The Choice Again, Would You Still Have A Hysterectomy?’ A staggering 84.3% of those that answered it said that they would, a further 11% said that they might and only 4.7% said No.

Linda Parkinson-Hardman Director of The Hysterectomy Association was quoted as saying that she was extremely surprised by the result saying “we had always assumed from the conversations with women we have had over the years, that the vast majority of hysterectomy patients do have a positive experience, but we hadn’t expected it to be at this level”.

Often a hysterectomy is portrayed as being an operation for elderly women, whilst the survey found that most women having the surgery were aged between 30 and 50 years of age. Searching the Internet shows the vast majority of comment and support suggests that everyone regrets the experience. However, the survey results change these common perceptions completely. What the results show is that most women have their surgery, recover and then move on with their lives.

The Hysterectomy Association is devoid of bias, entirely voluntary and receives no funding from any other organisation.