I would keep them if you can. I had a hysterectomy and an oophorectomy last October because of uterine cancer. Because of the cancer I can't take hormone replacement therapy drugs and I worry about osteoporosis. My last check up showed Vitamin D levels in the single digits and I think it's a byproduct of this, too. Those fibroids are nasty things. My doctor used to say my body was like a bag of ping pong balls. Good luck with your surgery.

I had a total hysterectomy when I was 60. I am now 70, no problems. (the ovaries were removed too)

I had a hysterectomy when I was 21, kept one ovary for a few more years. Didn't do hormone replacement. I'm 57 now, been on Evista and vitamin D have osteopenia but have been holding steady.

I had ovaries removed with my hysterectomy 30 years ago when I was 40, and have had no problems and no regrets. And I've known several women with ovarian cancer.

I had a hysterectomy in 2011, they took everything out due to cancer. Even my apendix. I thought it was a good idea.

Ok, thanks all who have responded so far. Some say take them, some say leave them. As I noted, in my case it's not cancer (or risk), it's huge fibroids. But be that as it may, it's valuable for me to have more info to discuss with my doctor.

Some of what I'm reading online (and, of course, if it's online it MUST be true - haha, sarcasm) says that removing ovaries, even after menopause, has some correlation to increased risk of dementia and heart issues.

Again, thanks all for your input. Anyone else?

Yes, keep them. If there's no reason to get rid of them, why? But I would find out why your surgeon wants to do a total.

I probably would remove them if I were your age. Ovarian cancer is scary and not uncommon. It's hard to catch in early stages. I also tend to be anxious and a hypochondriac, so there's that.

Suzieque - I had a hysterectomy because of large fibroids back in 1991, when I was 42 (I'm now 68). We had moved to northern California at the end of 1987, but the OB/GYN group I'd gone to since I was 18 (and for whom I'd worked for a number of years) was in southern California. I would still go to them for my annual checkups, and would only see a local GYN for more urgent needs (e.g., bladder infection, etc.). My wonderful GYN in So.Cal. recommended that I have the surgery closer to home. He said that although he would have no issues with performing the surgery for me, it was in my best interests to be closer to my surgeon during the recovery period. He recommended an excellent surgeon here in the Sacramento area. My regular GYN and my surgeon both recommended that my ovaries be removed along with my uterus, stating that there is a much higher chance of ovarian cancer when the ovaries are left in place after a hysterectomy. So, I had a larparascopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. No regrets whatsoever. By the way, my fibroids were huge, as you say yours are. I was given Lupron injections once a month for four months prior to the surgery, to shrink the fibroids. At the time of surgery, the fibroids were still too large for a "simple" vaginal hysterectomy, so my surgeon took the time to cut up the fibroids so the surgery could still be done vaginally. A long surgery, but he wanted to do what was best for me, and he felt (and I agree) that it was better not to have an abdominal incision.

ILoveComputers - although menopause can affect bone health, your low Vitamin D level is unlikely to be caused only by the fact that you've had a hysterectomy. We get most of our Vitamin D from the sun, and some from foods we eat. The first time my Vitamin D level was checked was in the Spring of 2015. Normal would be between 30-100 ng/mL. My level was 8 ng/ML.

It's important to know that Vitamin D works in conjunction with calcium and with PTH (parathyroid hormone) for bone health. Please have all three checked at the same time. My PTH and calcium were both high while my Vitamin D was low. Same result over a period of time with regular testing. As I type this, I am 9 days post op from a parathyroidectomy. In August 2015 my DEXA Scan showed that I have osteopenia. I know that one year from now, a DEXA Scan will show that I will have GAINED bone density.

Like Joann FL I had a "total" hysterectomy" years ago due to uterine cancer...."everything out," including the appendix and I think that was the best. You can get "natural hormone containing products" at Walmart....called Estroven. Take Calcium and Vitamin D supplements. My personal advice: Get it all out.

I had a hysterectomy in my 20s (I'm 70 now), and they left my ovaries. A few years ago, I had to have the ovaries removed because I had a large ovarian cyst. Fortunately, it was benign. If I were your age, I would likely opt for a total hysterectomy, to avoid future surgeries or the risk of cancer. Good luck!

I had a hysterectomy at 33 due to fibroids. My gyn insisted on leaving the ovaries. At 38, I was diagnosed with ER+ breast cancer. Six months later, my ovaries were removed. 12+ years later, I'm VERY VERY glad to be rid of the estrogen-producing (and cancer-fueling) ovaries.

Yeah, menopause (immediate --- I had hot flashes in the recovery room after the oophorectomy) sucks and has a few unpleasant side effects, but I'd rather be ALIVE with some tolerable side effects. So.

You're 60? Get rid of 'em!

Cancer is a lot worse than menopause. Trust me.

You all are wonderful. This type of info is precisely what I was hoping for. Of course, at my age, menopause was a long time ago so that’s not a concern. I will continue to read here and continue to read elsewhere so that I am educated enough to have an intelligent conversation with my doctor.

Thank you, all.

I had a hysterectomy in my early 60's. I didn't want my ovaries removed but the surgeon said at my age he could be sued for malpractice if he left them! I've been glad I have no chance of ovarian cancer -- one less thing to get me.

I had what my dr. called a total hysterectomy in in 1999. I still have my ovaries, so don't really understand why they called it a total. Anyway, he didn't want to take the ovaries at that time. He wanted them to work for as long as they could. I am now almost 59. I had a grapefruit size fibroid. They are hereditary in my family. (DB was not happy when I called him and told him he needed to have that conversation with his DD! But I am sure he did, even though he was uncomfortable about it.) I am having no trouble. I would probably elect to have them removed if I had to do it all over again, just so I didn't have to worry about it. I am now taking 1000 mg vitamin C, 400 mg vitamin E, and 3 Evening Primrose Oil capsules daily to keep my hormones balanced, and avoid caffeine, though I do still drink some tea, and definitely eat my chocolate. If I start having more hot flashes or breast pain (caused by the wildly fluctuating hormones, already have seen the breast specialist several years ago for it.) I back off the caffeine again.

I am wishing you the best and a full recovery. I have never had one and I am 82.

Sue

Begone! All of it! I still have parts of my ovaries to worry about becoming cancerous. No hysterectomy, but...

... a clumsy GYN removed most of one of my ovaries and damaged the other when he 'felt something'. (It was a chocolate cyst that would have gone away on its own.) I was 27. Painful recovery. Huge scar across my lower abdomen that current MD's see and guess was a cesarean. No. No babies for me.

Today I know better than to let a GYN operate on me. That's what Surgeons are for. I have had two GYNs tell me they love an opportunity to do surgery -- one of them twenty minutes after a new-patient consult where she heard my history.

I believe you could take any hormones you *might* need.

Had mine at age 31 due to pre cancerous cells, they did hysterectomy, oophorectomy. I took estrogen till age 55 but both my sisters got estrogen related breast cancer and had mastectomies so my dr. said I needed to stop the estrogen. I did and my body produces no estrogen. I' much older now and feel younger than I really am. I have no regrets except for a short time after surgery when I dreamed often about having another baby. You'll make the right choice for you. Two sisters now have had hysterectomy, one kept the ovaries, other didn't. The one that kept them had to have them removed a year later.

My mom had a hysterectomy in her late 30s. She chose to have her ovaries removed at that time. Her older sister had kept hers and ended up having to have them removed later.

Mom did HRT for a few years, then tapered off.

She is almost 60 now and has had no medical problems and takes no medications for anything.

My mom had a total hysterectomy including ovaries due to cancer. Keeping the ovaries was not an option for her. She is doing well and is cancer free.

Had hysterectomy at 40, kept my ovaries. I am so glad that they removed my cervix as it became stenotic and gave me a lot of pain. Never felt better!

I had a partial Hyst when I was 22 my uterus collapsed and they took it and left both ovaries so I would not have to do replacement therapy. At 24 my right ovary kept getting cysts and they would do a procedure to peel the cyst off to save the ovary. Finally when I turned 40 that right ovary developed a monster cyst bigger than a grapefruit. I kept complaing of pain in my right side to the point I was doubled over so I went to the doctor who did a cat scan. Not only did I have the giant cyst on my ovary my gallbladder was blocked too. No wonder I was hurting and I had been letting it go for weeks hoping the pain would go away. I had the right ovary removed and only have lefty left lol. Six weeks after they removed the ovary I had the gallbladder removed. That was a fun year. I have been living with one ovary for over 6 years now and do not notice a difference between having one or two. I still do not have to do replacement therapy yet. I should be going into peri menopause soonish I would think but so far I haven't yet,