How easy is it to get an elective/preventative hysterectomy in Canada?

Question

Hey folks! I have a quick question for you. I have a long family history of reproductive cancers, for 3 generations women have needed to have total hysterectomies (the removal of the uterus and cervix, in their cases the ovaries and fallopian tubes as well) before the age of 40. Anyway, for that reason and also because I have polycystic ovary syndrome, I want to get a preventative/elective hysterectomy. Now I've heard that people have to jump through a lot of hoops to get a preventative hysterectomy and even that some are flat out refused or told to wait until their 30s or 40s or later. I want to have an idea of how difficult it's going to be for me to get referrals or consults for surgery before I go into it so I can kinda be prepared.

Thanks in advance!

MissA · Answer

If you want to get a hysterectomy for an inherited elevated cancer risk, step one would probably be getting diagnosed with said elevated cancer risk.  Not all of these things actually can be passed down genetically.

Pippin · Answer

Whether in Canada or anywhere else, good doctors don't do unnecessary 'preventive' surgery without pretty good cause.

This would really be something to discuss with your doctor.  What kind of cancers are being discussed?  How common? What is YOUR actual risk?
  (Are you talking about ONE aunt out of 20 had a hysterectomy in each generation? Or virtually every woman had cancer?)
  Be aware too that not so long ago, it was common for doctors to recommend routine hysterectomies for most women once they were through having children and were at or near menopause  Especially if the woman was having abdominal surgery for something else, the doctor might suggest that "While I'm in there, why don't I take out your uterus and ovaries? They are just useless cancer risks now." And, over time, the story might have gotten mis-remembered from "Grandma had a routine hysterectomy so she wouldn't get cancer," to "Grandma had a hysterectomy because she had cancer."

Most cancers do NOT have a genetic basis.  Ovarian cancer can -- the same BRCA genes that increase the risk for breast cancer can also increase the risk for ovarian cancer.  But I'm not aware of any significant genetic risk factors for uterine or cervical cancer.

AND -- most of these cancers develop slowly.  And surgery has its own risks. (Removing the ovaries in a young women can be particularly problematic.)  So regular check-ups and prompt attention to any unusual symptoms should catch any potential problems long before they become life threatening.

So -- again, talk to your doctor.  A more detailed family medical history and genetic testing (BRCA testing is commonly done. As an Ashkenazic Jewish woman with some family history of breast cancer, MY doctor has been nagging me to get it done for years.) would give a clearer picture of YOUR actual risks.

It sounds like you are young -- still in your 20's?  You don't say if you are married, or in a relationship, or have kids, or might want them.  But at this point, there is certainly not likely to be ANY rush to remove your organs because 'grandma and Aunt Suzy had cancer.'

How easy is it to get an elective/preventative hysterectomy in Canada?

2 Answers