Ovary removal (oophorectomy) is often performed along with a hysterectomy in older women to avoid the risk of developing ovarian cancer. Researchers at Yale University conducted a study to determine whether removal of the ovaries impacted sexual function in older women. They published their findings in the October issue of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology. The researchers note that that hysterectomy is the most commonly performed gynecologic surgical procedure; more than 600,000 hysterectomies performed annually in the US. The majority of hysterectomies are performed for benign indications. Thus, the choice of whether to remove the ovaries at the time of hysterectomy is between a woman and her surgeon. At present, 25-55% of benign hysterectomies are performed with concomitant elective oophorectomy. Although elective oophorectomy removes the risk of ovarian cancer, studies have reported that ovarian conservation has been demonstrated to increase overall life-expectancy and decrease coronary heart disease.
